Star Wars actor forced to return to franchise against his will

Freddie Prinze Jr., a seasoned Hollywood actor and the voice of Kanan Jarrus in Star Wars: Rebels, recently made a surprising revelation in a podcast interview. He disclosed that he was forced to return to the franchise after the animated series concluded, even though he believed it was not in line with his character's progression.

Throughout the show, Prinze Jr. played the role of a Jedi master, imparting his knowledge and experience to a young Ezra Bridger, who sought to become a Jedi knight and navigate the turbulent times in the galaxy.

Prinze Jr.'s statement regarding his reluctance to return to the Star Wars universe is particularly intriguing since he has been a prominent figure in Hollywood for over two decades now. He has appeared in numerous films and TV shows, making his mark in the entertainment industry.

Owing to his substantial experience, it is worth wondering why the actor felt that revisiting his character's journey was not necessarily the best decision.

---

Forced returns and diluted impact: Freddie Prinze Jr. on his return to Star Wars

Freddie Prinze Jr. expresses frustration with returning to the Star Wars franchise and feeling that each return dilutes his character's impact (Image via The Jimmy Fallon Show)

Freddie Prinze Jr. reprised his role in the Star Wars universe twice after his character's death in Rebels season 4, appearing in The Rise of Skywalker and The Bad Batch.

However, in a recent interview with The Big Thing podcast, Prinze Jr. revealed that he was not keen on returning to voice a younger version of Kanan in The Bad Batch, as he believed it diluted the impact of his character's emotional send-off in Rebels season 4.

"I was, yeah. I didn't necessarily want to. I feel like every time you hear Kanan's voice since Star Wars Rebels' ended, it really kind of dilutes his impact."

Prinze Jr. also disclosed that he did not want to appear in The Rise of Skywalker but was asked to do so as a favor. His character's vocal cameo in the film was part of a scene featuring multiple Jedi voices, and Prinze Jr. was uncertain if his voice made the final cut until the movie was released.

"Yeah, I didn't want to do that either. I was asked as a favor and I feel like all their favors are used up now."

He continued by saying:

"And they didn't tell anyone like who was gonna get in and who wasn't. They just wanted to have a bunch of different Jedi, so I'm sure there were some other voices in there as well that may not have made it. But I didn't even know until the movie came out."

Prinze Jr.'s comments echo past sentiments about his return to the Star Wars franchise, where despite his appreciation for the opportunity to be a part of the iconic universe, he has expressed frustration at being asked to reprise the role.

While his appearances in The Rise of Skywalker and The Bad Batch delighted many fans, Prinze Jr. believed that his character's send-off in Rebels season 4 was a fitting conclusion to Kanan's story.

---

Freddie Prinze Jr. won't reprise Kanan Jarrus in Ahsoka

Freddie Prinze Jr. has confirmed he won't be reprising his role as Kanan Jarrus in the upcoming Disney+ series Ahsoka (Image via Lucasfilm)

Freddie Prinze Jr. has returned twice to the Star Wars canon, but it seems unlikely he will reprise his role in the upcoming Disney+ series, Ahsoka.

Despite his reluctance to return to the franchise, his character's presence will undoubtedly be felt as the Rebels crew reunites for the first time without Kanan in the upcoming series.

While fans may be disappointed that Prinze Jr. is not likely to reprise his role, it is a testament to the actor's dedication to his craft that he refuses to return to a character that he feels has reached its conclusion. Therefore, it seems that Kanan Jarrus is done in Star Wars, at least for now.

---

Star Wars: Rebels can be streamed in its entirety on Disney+.