In a rather surprising move, Liam Neeson is returning to the Star Wars galaxy as Qui-Gon Jinn in the animated spin-off series, The Clone Wars.
The actor reprises his role almost twelve years after his first appearance as the Jedi in The Phantom Menace, the first Star Wars prequel. Qui-Gon also received mentions in Attack Of The Clones and Revenge Of The Sith whilst he also appeared in the first 2D animated version of The Clone Wars from Genndy Tartakovsky (though not voiced by Neeson).
His return, part of a three episode story arc, sees Obi Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon's former Padawan, having visions of his old master as they discuss Anakin Skywalker's destiny as the "Chosen One".
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, who exclusively broke the news, the Irish actor said he wanted to return to the Star Wars world because "these characters resonate...even after all these years." Neeson added, "Growing up, my heroes were cowboys; they were strong and mysterious, and it seemed like they always rode off into the sunset. For kids today, Star Wars has that same kind of magic. I really wanted to be a part of that."
Qui Gon-Jinn's return starts in the US on Jan 28 and in the UK, February 5th on Sky Movies.
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