The popularity of the Star Wars Jedi video games, Fallen Order and Survivor, has led to continued speculation—and demand from fans—that their Force-wielding protagonist, Cal Kestis, might one day appear on the big or small screen.
Rumours have swirled for a while now that Gotham and TRON: Ares star Cameron Monaghan will likely reprise this role in a live-action setting. A third game is on the way, of course, but as the series is set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, it wouldn't be that tricky for an older Cal to make his presence felt in, say, the "Mandoverse," for example.
In a new report from GameRant (via SFFGazette.com), remarks from an unnamed Disney representative confirm that there are plans for Cal beyond the games.
"'Never say never. We've got his lightsaber in the park. We've got more Cal stories coming,'" the Disney rep said, before the site added, "This direct confirmation was shared by a Disney representative during a conversation with GameRant, indicating a strong corporate commitment to the hero's future."
Cal Kestis is a Force-sensitive human male and a Jedi Knight who survived the Great Jedi Purge during the rise of the Galactic Empire. Born during the final years of the Galactic Republic, he trained as a Padawan under Jedi Master Jaro Tapal. When Order 66 was executed, clone troopers turned on their Jedi commanders, and Tapal sacrificed himself to allow the young Padawan to escape.
Kestis fled to the planet Bracca, where he lived in hiding for several years as a rigger for the Scrapper Guild, suppressing his Force abilities to avoid detection. His life changed when he used the Force publicly to save a friend, drawing the attention of the Empire’s Inquisitors.
Rescued by the former Jedi Cere Junda and pilot Greez Dritus aboard the Stinger Mantis, Kestis joined a quest to protect a holocron listing Force-sensitive children and rebuild the Jedi Order. Accompanied by his loyal droid BD-1, Kestis honed his connection to the Force and constructed a new lightsaber. He emerged as a key figure in the early resistance against the Empire, though we've yet to learn how his story ends.
Assuming he doesn't die in the planned third instalment, the door is open to telling any number of stories with Cal moving forward. Some of the stories referred to above could even be set between the games, while we also can't rule out an adaptation of them.
"I've seen a lot of chatter online about that. [Laughs] It could be really interesting," former Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy previously said when she was asked about a live-action debut for Cal Kestis. "It's not something that's front and center right at the moment, but what's interesting in the company that we do is that everybody across all these different lines of business, we all talk to one another."
Now, the ball is in new Lucasfilm co-President Dave Filoni's court. The comments above are by no means confirmation of live-action plans for Cal, as they could be referring to everything from books and comics to Cal having an expanded role in the Disney Parks.
Galaxy's Edge no longer worries too much about its sequel trilogy-era setting, as The Mandalorian, Han Solo, and Darth Vader can all now be found wandering around. With any luck, though, there are plans for Cal in live-action, or failing that, animation.
What would you like to see from Star Wars Jedi's Cal Kestis moving forward? As always, weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section below.