Why Freddie Prinze Jr. Is Firmly Against Kanan Appearing In Live-Action Star Wars
"Star Wars Rebels" is one of the best things to happen to the "Star Wars" universe. Where "The Clone Wars" had a sprawling story with plenty of characters and an unfocused story that instead gave audiences different plotlines, "Rebels" gives you a classic "Star Wars" adventure.
The show focuses on the Ghost Crew, a small ragtag crew of misfits making their way through the galaxy before eventually getting involved in the birth of the Rebel Alliance. Like any classic "Star Wars" story, there are a couple of Jedi in the team — Kanan and Ezra — and they are two of the best Jedi characters in the franchise. Their relationship is familiar but fresh, with Kanan not being a traditional teacher because he never finished his own Jedi training. This means Kana understands Ezra's flaws and his anxieties better than anyone, and has little prior knowledge that can help him explain difficult things to his apprentice.
Their story is crucial to the show, and the larger "Star Wars" franchise. Ezra has one of the darkest stories we've seen for a Jedi outside of Anakin's fall, while Kanan's heroic sacrifice continues to impact "Star Wars" stories like Ahsoka.
But where most of the Ghost Crew has made their way to live-action in either "The Mandalorian" or "Ahsoka," there is one character we will not see — at least if their voice actor has anything to say about it. Speaking with Comicbook.com, Freddie Prinze Jr. talked about being done with Kanan's story:
"I thought it ended beautifully. People cried, I was very happy for that. I don't mean that like a jerk: our goal was to make you cry. I didn't even want to do the little voice-over in the last 'Star Wars movie ['The Rise of Skywalker']. I thought it felt forced."
Let the man rest
"To me, every time I'm asked to do Kanan it waters down what was a beautiful ending ... It's this amazing powerful moment," Prinze added. "So for me, that story's been told, and it's done, and I wouldn't have any interest in that. And it would be weird to play a different character in that universe, so I don't have any ambition to be in the 'Star Wars' Universe."
Seeing Kanan return would indeed dilute his story — like showing up in "The Bad Batch" did — because the story of Kanan was never meant to be the same as that of Luke, Ahsoka, or Ezra. He was never meant to end up as a powerful Jedi who could become a Force Ghost. Instead, his arc was about Kanan becoming a Jedi Knight, embodying everything good about the Order. After a lifetime of hiding his Jedi upbringing, Kanan became a hero who sacrificed himself for others. He may not have made the traditional Jedi trials, nor lived in the temple. And yet, by the right of the Council, and by the will of the Force, he became a Jedi.
Just because Kanan shouldn't appear in person, doesn't mean he should be forgotten, however. One of the best callbacks in "Ahsoka" was hearing mentions of Kanan. As much as "Rebels," "The Clone Wars," and "Ahsoka" creator Dave Filoni likes callbacks, he also has a tendency to ignore and forget dead characters even when they supposedly had a huge impact on others. R.I.P. Satine Kryze, gone but not forgotten (except by everyone in the live-action shows, apparently). Hearing Kanan being name-dropped in "Ahsoka" as someone important to the characters speaks to the big impact he had on "Star Wars" as a whole. Let's just hope that impact isn't lessened by a live-action appearance.