Cal Kestis Actor Gives Disney His Terms for Live-Action ‘Star Wars’ Debut

With many exciting Star Wars projects in the pipeline at Disney and Lucasfilm, it seems inevitable that the title character from the “Jedi: Fallen Order” and “Jedi: Survivor” video games will make his live-action debut in the near future. But according to actor Cameron Monaghan, he’ll only do so under one condition.

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After making his first franchise appearance in 2019’s “Jedi: Fallen Order,” Cal Kestis — voiced and modeled after Shameless alum Cameron Monaghan — quickly became a fan-favorite Star Wars character, spurring EA and Respawn Entertainment to release a sequel, “Jedi: Survivor,” in 2023.

Following the adventures of the ex-Padawan-on-the-run, the video games see Cal Kestis and his fearless droid companion, BD-1, encountering many eclectic characters throughout the galaxy as he attempts to rebuild the fallen Jedi Order in the aftermath of Order 66.

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Oddly enough, however, the Jedi Master has yet to appear anywhere onscreen in the galaxy far, far away. When asked about the prospects of a “Jedi: Fallen Order” adaptation or a Cal Kestis-centric Disney+ spinoff, Monaghan previously told Entertainment Weekly that he was more focused on finishing out a “satisfying arc within the games” and has not thought about anything beyond that.

While this might sound disheartening to fans early awaiting Cal Kestis’ onscreen debut, Monaghan recently offered a more hopeful update at FAN EXPO Vancouver 2024, where he shared his hopes for his Star Wars character’s story should he be brought into live-action.

Speaking on a panel at the event (via The Direct), Monaghan told attendees that a potential live-action debut for Cal Kestis would have to “mean something,” adding that he’s generally opposed to fan service and would not want his character to “just kind of show up to stand around and be there:”

It would have to be right. By that I mean, it has to continue the story or the character in some way. I don’t want him to just kind of show up to stand around and be there. I want him to mean something and for there to be a significance for the character itself. So, it would have to make sense. But in the right context then, yeah, absolutely.

Given that recent years have provided us with Disney+ series like Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Book of Boba Fett — both of which resurrected legacy characters to mixed results, to say the least — Star Wars creators would have to tread carefully if a Cal Kestis spinoff ever gets the green light from Disney and Lucasfilm.

Monaghan seems to understand this quite well, considering Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) made a brief appearance in Jedi: Survivor…for about three minutes of actual gameplay. Of course, video game cameos are different than, say, the ones featured in Mando Season 2, as it’s arguably far more important for a film or TV project to get them right, as they tend to play a larger role in the story.

Will Cal Kestis Return to ‘Star Wars?’

If Star Wars legacy characters, as Monaghan put it, just “stand around and be there,” it makes for a dissatisfying watch that tends to leave viewers frustrated, as all the hype and anticipation was built up for, essentially, nothing. A potential live-action Cal Kestis appearance would have to be careful to avoid making such a mistake, meaning Monaghan is absolutely valid for wanting to hold out for the right project, whether that be a movie or a Disney+ show.

Unfortunately, the window for Monaghan to make his live-action Star Wars debut seems to have passed. Many would agree that the Disney+ Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries would’ve been the perfect opportunity to introduce Cal Kestis, as the story picks up right around the same time — 9 BBY.

Although talk of an Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 2 renewal has persisted since its premiere in 2022, it seems like Monaghan’s best bet for a live-action Cal Kestis role would either be in Star Wars animation or his very own solo project, both of which remain unconfirmed. The door is also open for the Jedi-on-the-run to star in Andor Season 2 as the timeline does add up, but it would be difficult to factor in a Force user into the otherwise grounded espionage drama.

At the moment, Monaghan is the perfect age to play the Jedi Master onscreen, which would make him too young for a cameo in, say, Ahsoka Season 2 or Dave Filoni’s upcoming “Mando-Verse” crossover event and too old for any type of prequel. Unless he simply lent his voice to an animated (or digitally re-aged) version of the character, it’s hard to imagine Cal popping up anytime soon.

It’s worth noting that Monaghan revealed he had an “interest” in bringing Cal Kestis to life onscreen back in 2022, but he would not confirm or deny if it were going to happen. Still, with a third “Star Wars: Jedi” game in active development at EA and Respawn, this could lay the foundation for his live-action debut. For now, only time will tell.

Are you hoping to see Cal Kestis appear in future Star Wars storytelling? Let us know in the comments below!