Ahsoka Episode 4 Hides A Huge Star Wars Live-Action Debut Most Fans Missed
At this point, it's clear that watching "Star Wars Rebels" before "Ahsoka," while not mandatory, improves the overall viewing experience. However, as if the live-action debuts of Hera (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Sabine (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), and Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) weren't enough, incredibly eagle-eyed "Star Wars" fans spotted yet another fan-favorite "Rebels" character in the latest episode.
In Episode 4, "Part Four: Fallen Jedi," Hera assembles a small group of Rebel fighters to assist Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) and Sabine on Seatos. In the very definition of a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, as Hera enters the Ghost, fans can catch a glimpse of a photo of Kanan Jarrus hanging on the cockpit controls of the "Rebels" ship. It's only visible for a split second, requiring ample squinting, but technically, it serves as the Jedi's official live-action debut.
Once it hit Twitter, it didn't take long for the picture to send "Star Wars" fans into a frenzy, scrambling to enhance it as much as possible to see if it was a photo of Freddie Prinze Jr., who voiced Kanan in "Rebels." Twitter user @bryaneward gave fans their best possible look, placing the blurry image of Kanan beside one of Prinze Jr., and the results, while inconclusive, somewhat resemble the actor. However, we wouldn't bet money on Prinze Jr. returning.
Freddie Prinze Jr. says he has hung up his lightsaber for good
The tiniest look at a picture of Kanan Jarrus will undoubtedly send the "Star Wars" fandom into a tailspin, theorizing how Freddie Prinze Jr. could reprise his role in live-action in "Ahsoka." While we hate to be the bearer of bad news, the likelihood of that happening seems near zero, assuming the actor is one to trust.
During an appearance on "The Big Thing" podcast, Prinze Jr. definitively stated that his time as Kanan in the "Star Wars" universe is officially over. When host Kristian Harloff asked the actor about returning to voice a younger Kanan in "The Bad Batch," Prinze Jr. said, "I was asked to [return]. 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. I didn't want to do [Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker] either. I was asked as a favor, and I feel like all of their favors are used up now." As if that wasn't enough confirmation, when asked if he'd return for "Ahsoka," he said, "No 'Ahsoka.' I'm done with Kanan. I'm too old for that stuff."
Although we'd love to see Prinze Jr. suit up as a Jedi in live-action, based on his comments, it seems that's entirely off the table. Of course, nothing's completely ruled out until "Ahsoka" rolls credits for the final time. Prinze Jr. could be the best actor-turned-liar since Andrew Garfield during the days leading up to "Spider-Man: No Way Home," but he certainly seems genuine with his comments, wanting to preserve Kanan's noble sacrifice in "Rebels" Season 4.