Movies
Why Liam Neeson thinks ‘Star Wars’ is losing its magic and mystery
Don’t expect Liam Neeson to reprise his role as Qui-Gon Jinn anytime soon.
The Star Wars universe continues to expand, with Disney releasing series like ‘The Mandalorian’, ‘Andor’, ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ and ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ over the past few years.
However, fans shouldn’t hold their breath when it comes to a Qui-Gon Jinn spinoff, as Liam Neeson has regularly stated that he doesn’t want to appear in one.
Neeson thinks Star Wars is hurting its own magic
Neeson played Qui-Gon Jinn in the 1999 film ‘Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace’, a film that proved to be a major box-office success.
He also lent his voice to the character in the animated television series ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’, before reprising the role for a cameo in the final episode of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’.
Neeson joined Paul Rudd on a recent episode of ‘Watch What Happens Live!’, and not only did he reiterate his desire not to appear in a spinoff, but he also explained why.
“No, I’m not,” Neeson said if he he has any desire in returning. “There’s so many spinoffs of ‘Star Wars.’
“It’s diluting it to me, and it’s taken away the mystery and the magic in a weird way.”
Would Neeson return in Star Wars movie?
While Neeson made it clear he has no interest in appearing in a spinoff, he has said in the past that he would be open to reprising the role on the big screen.
“Oh, I think so, yeah, yeah, yeah, I think so ... if it was a film. Yeah, I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to TV, I must admit, I just like the big screen, you know?” Neeson told ComicBook.com in 2022.
“Qui-Gon, I can’t believe it’s 24 years since we made [Star Wars:] The Phantom Menace, I just cannot believe where the time has gone. It was a terrific experience, shooting that film in London.”
However, he also added that the fantasy genre as a whole doesn’t hold much appeal to him.
“I’ll be honest with you, no. It’s not. I’m really not a huge fan of the genre. I think it’s Hollywood with all the bells and whistles and the technical achievements and stuff -- which I admire -- but I have no desire to go into the gym for three hours every day to pump myself up to squeeze into a Velcro suit with a cape,” said Neeson.