Liam Neeson on his long-awaited return to Star Wars: “I certainly didn’t want anyone else playing Qui-Gon Jinn”

When Qui-Gon Jinn finally showed up in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, it wasn’t a surprise – but it was glorious.

Jinn appeared in the show’s final scene as a Force ghost, completing a season-long arc of Obi-Wan trying (and failing) to communicate with his long-dead master. Jinn discovered a way to return from the netherworld of the Force, according to Yoda in Revenge of the Sith, and during Obi-Wan’s solitude on Tatooine he was learning how to commune with him. But for a decade, Obi-Wan couldn’t do it. Then, at the end of this series, with Obi-Wan having found a peace and purpose again, he finally sees his old mentor.

It’s a terrific moment, and it marked the first time we’ve seen Qui-Gon in live-action since The Phantom Menace in 1999, when he was introduced. Liam Neeson played the great Jedi Master, and he has since returned to voice the character in two episodes of The Clone Wars, plus as one of the Jedi of the past in The Rise of Skywalker. But now, finally, we don’t just hear him – we get to see him too!

Neeson spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about his return as the character, saying, “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 [McGregor] is a pal, and I loved working with him during The Phantom Menace 25 years ago.”

He had previously indicated this year that he’d be willing to return to the Star Wars franchise, but only for a film, but we now know that’s actually not true. He had this appearance in Obi-Wan Kenobi, but he’s also returning to voice the character in the upcoming animated series Tales of the Jedi, which releases this fall.

It’s evident that he enjoys portraying Qui-Gon Jinn, and he’s terrific in the role. I’m so glad he showed up in this series, and I’m hoping we’ll see more of him before long!