Although several Star Wars: Rebels characters have been confirmed to appear in Ahsoka, it looks like one very important member of the Ghost crew won’t be making a live-action debut — or at least not in the form fans most recognize. Kanan Jarrus, the resident Jedi Knight of the group, will not be making an appearance according to voice actor Freddie Prinze Jr., who voiced the character on all seasons of the series.
ComicBook.com reports that Prinze, known for his role in films such as Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, was asked by YouTuber Kristian Harloff about Prinze’s cameo appearance in Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Prinze responded, “I was asked to, yeah. I didn’t necessarily want to. I feel like every time you hear Kanan’s voice since Rebels ended, it really kind of dilutes his impact.”
Referring to Kanan’s sacrifice at the end of Rebels, it’s clear that Prinze is done playing the character entirely, and won’t be returning for any future appearances, including a live-action appearance in Ahsoka. Referencing a vocal cameo in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Prinze said, “I didn’t want to do that either. I was asked as a favor and I feel like all my — all their favors are used up now.”
Prinze later added, “No Ahsoka, I’m done with Kanan. I’m too old for that stuff.”
Prinze’s desire to leave the role behind does not mean the end for the character, however. The character continues to have an important legacy within the new Star Wars extended universe, and his life has now been chronicled extensively — but not in its entirety.
The character will, no doubt, appear in some fashion throughout future stories which explore more of his lifetime, but it seems that it’ll be without Prinze’s involvement. Even posthumous appearances are technically possible in Star Wars — thanks to abilities bestowed by the Force, the character could conceivably continue to have an effect on the universe.
Should be reappear in live-action, however, the role would likely be portrayed by a different actor altogether. Though Ahsoka stars Rosario Dawson in the titular role, for example, in the animated Star Wars entries, she’s voiced by Ashley Eckstein. Perhaps Prinze is right, however: the character’s sacrifice was a high point in Rebels, and future appearances do continue to dilute the impact of such a loss. A cameo may be a fun crowd pleaser, but is it worth compromising the narrative of a completed story?