Is James Earl Jones Voicing Vader On Obi-Wan? No One Will Say
The cast and crew of Obi-Wan Kenobi have carefully avoided confirming whether James Earl Jones will return to voice Darth Vader in the Disney+ series. Jones has provided the voice for the iconic Sith Lord in multiple films and television shows since the release of 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope. The actor last reprised the role for a brief vocal cameo in 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
While David Prowse portrayed the physical form of the Empire's feared enforcer in the first Star Wars trilogy, Jones provided the spoken dialogue for Vader, not only giving the character a memorable, imposing tone, but also moments where the humanity that remained in Anakin Skywalker broke through the cold, mechanized breathing of the villain. As one of the men who made Vader the cultural icon he has become, Jones has returned to the role many times, including the spin-off film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, animated series Star Wars: Rebels, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. While the character of Darth Vader is set to return in Obi-Wan Kenobi, portrayed physically by Anakin Skywalker actor Hayden Christensen, it remains unconfirmed whether Jones will provide the Sith Lord's voice.
Speaking to EW about the returning Star Wars cast members in the upcoming Disney+ series, Ewan McGregor, Christensen, showrunner Deborah Chow, writer Joby Harold, and Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy came together to discuss the series, as well as reuniting McGregor and Christensen on-screen for the first time since the prequels. In the interview, Harold emphasized the importance of Christensen's return due to how integral he had been to the character, and their desire to handle the villain with care. Despite this, EW noted that the cast and crew avoided addressing whether Jones would return in the series in the interview. Check out the extract below.
"Not as excited as all those starstruck crew members. "It was so important to have Hayden be a part of this project because he is such a massive part of that character," says Harold. "It was a priority to all of us that we did it with as much care as possible, so as to honor one of the greatest villains and antagonists in the history of entertainment." (As to whether 91-year-old James Earl Jones will once again be voicing the character, no one will say.)"
Jones first returned in Star Wars: Rebels, voicing the character for the first time on television for a brief holographic cameo in a recut version of the series 2-part premiere, "Spark of Rebellion," that first aired on ABC in October 2014. The actor returned to voice the villain in a more recurring antagonistic role in the show's second season, where he became a much-feared, ominous threat for the show's cast of rebels. When it has come to the character's appearances in other pieces of media, Vader has been voiced by other voice actors, such as Scott Lawrence and Matt Sloan.
While Christensen casts an imposing silhouette as Vader, it would be hard to imagine anyone other than Jones voicing the character in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Jones' voice not only helped create a character that is simultaneously beloved and feared but has since gone on to influence other pieces of media outside of the franchise. While decades have passed since the original film's release and the studio has controversially opted to use software to voice other returning characters in previously released series, Jones has proven in following appearances that he can still perfectly create Vader's imposing tone, and his return can help further create a series that pays respect to two eras of the franchise.
Source: EW