Credit: ITMThe Star Wars Universe has been one of the cornerstones of pop culture for 46 years. Its original trilogy changed modern cinema and made sci-fi fantasy a dominant genre for movie-goers. Yet, before Disney took over the franchise with the release of its three divisive sequels, two prequel films, four live-action TV shows, and several animated projects, George Lucas made three prequel movies that separated the fanbase.
While The Phantom Menace, The Clone Wars, and Revenge of the Sith have their faults, the one undisputed fact is the overwhelming dedication each actor put into their roles. The prequel trilogy was a daunting endeavor for the cast, who often had nothing but green screens and props to work with to bring their characters to life.
One of these cast members, Ahmed Best, was a struggling actor who won the role of a lifetime. He was chosen to be a major reoccurring character named Jar Jar Binks. Best had to play a goofy, yet endearing alien who would become a powerful ally to the Jedi. His exaggerated portrayal was a directorial decision to include a light-hearted presence that would appeal to children.
Unfortunately, Jar Jar was met with tremendous amounts of hate from fans. The contempt for the character became so extreme that Best expressed that he received death threats regularly. This negative response would lead to the actor being typecasted and even blacklisted from other roles. It was an unfair outcome according to the supportive side of the fandom.
However, the now Executive Creative Director at LucasFilm, Dave Filoni, saw potential in the world of the prequels that many had disregarded after the critical backlash of the trilogy. The former Nickelodeon storyboard artist would first cultivate the lore of Star Wars through animation.
He would become one of the architects for fan-favorite shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Rebels and Star Wars: Resistance. The popularity of these shows would revitalize the rich history of the prequels, which would eventually lead to the supermassive hit, The Mandalorian, then later, Ahsoka.
Many Star Wars aficionados were elated during Season Three of The Mandalorian when Ahmed Best was spotted as Jedi, Kelleran Beq, in the fourth episode, “The Foundling.” The character did not only become a beloved figure for fans since he is the one who saved Grogu from Order 66, but it was a triumphant return for Best to the Star Wars Universe.
His appearance incited a social media demand to see him return as Beq. The esteemed character actor stated in an interview recently that, “I would never say never…I would like to explore more Kelleran Beq. I’d love to do a Star Wars martial arts show – like a Jedi John Wick.”
Since Best is a decorated martial artist, he thinks the character could show off the true fighting potential of the Jedi from the prequel era. There has been no official confirmation of a Kelleran Beq spinoff, but anything is possible with Filoni’s support.
The Mandalorian and the Star Wars prequel trilogy are all streaming on Disney+.
Do you think Kelleran Beq should get his own show? What should it focus on?