Spoiler warning for anyone who hasn't yet watched the entirety of Obi-Wan Kenobi, so beware!
Obi-Wan Kenobi featured quite a surprise in its finale, with a massive Jedi cameo nearly stealing the show even after the clues foreshadowing their appearance. Now, as Disney+ subscribers await news about a potential Season 2 or other follow-up, Qui-Gon Jinn actor Liam Neeson confirmed that was him as the Force Ghost, and shined some light on why he returned to the world of Star Wars after years of saying he was fine to be done with it all.
Liam Neeson, whose wise mentor character Qui-Gon Jinn made his debut and later died in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, spoke to THR about his live-action(ish) return as a Force Ghost in Obi-Wan Kenobi's final moments. Neeson explained he reprised his role for a number of reasons, one of which involved his former co-star Ewan McGregor:
I certainly didn’t want anyone else playing Qui-Gon Jinn, and I wanted to show my respect for George [Lucas] and that mythical world that he created. Plus, Ewan is a pal, and I loved working with him during The Phantom Menace 25 years ago.
Liam Neeson mentioned the key point that he didn’t want another actor playing Qui-Gon Jinn, and fortunately for him, it doesn’t appear as though Star Wars and Disney execs were keen to discuss substitutions either. The actor donned his classic look for the character and finally appeared to Obi-Wan Kenobi as a Force Ghost after many requests from an oft-desperate Kenobi throughout the six-episode series. It marked the first time audiences saw Qui-Gon as a Force Ghost in live-action, and lays the groundwork for a potential reprisal should Obi-Wan Kenobi get another season.
Should Obi-Wan Kenobi return for another season, though, it’s hard to imagine Liam Neeson would factor into the story in a meatier way than his cameo in Obi-Wan's conclusion. When Alec Guinness appeared as a Force Ghost during the original Star Wars trilogy, he only had about a minute of screentime in The Empire Strikes Back, and a little under two and a half minutes in Return of the Jedi (via Gold Derby). Granted, that probably worked just fine for Guiness.
Considering Star Wars' powers that be are trying lots of things out in this new era, perhaps Neeson’s Force Ghost could command just a bit more screentime if there are opportunities for him to return. Let’s also not forget that now that Liam Neeson is back as Qui-Gon Jinn in the Star Wars universe, there is always an opportunity for another prequel series centering squarely on his Jedi character.
Neeson is only one of a few who would be able to confirm if that’s something that’s in the works, and he wasn’t exactly honest about his involvement in Obi-Wan Kenobi when asked ahead of the final episode airing. So with that in mind, the best we can do is wait and see if he’ll reunite with McGregor should more episodes come for Obi-Wan Kenobi, or if Qui-Gon Jinn might return to Star Wars in another way entirely.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is available right now on Disney+ and is totally worth rewatching for the Vader scenes alone. I’m crossing my fingers for more adventures with the character and maybe even some updates on what’s happening with Reva after her arc.
