Star Wars recently confirmed that Anthony Daniels is being brought back to reprise his role as C-3PO in an upcoming project from the galaxy far, far away, adding yet another notch to the actor's belt of credits, but this time, he will be lending his talents to something that has never been done before. Of every actor who has played a role in the world of Star Wars, C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels is perhaps the most notable, as he is the only actor to be credited in every single Star Wars movie that has ever been released (even The Mandalorian & Grogu).
Star Wars, Disney, and ESPN recently announced that, in collaboration with the NFL, a Star Wars animated alternate telecast of Super Bowl LXI (which is officially titled Super Bowl LXI Funday Football) will be set in the Star Wars universe and bring The Big Game to life in a way it never has before. While fans will get to watch the Super Bowl taking place live in the galaxy far, far away, the telecast will also feature Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, as the actor has already recorded new voice lines for the Super Bowl telecast's teaser, which was recently released.
Specifically, an animated teaser was revealed for Super Bowl LXI Funday Football, which recreated the escape pod crash scene from A New Hope. In the recreation, R2-D2 and C-3PO (voiced by Daniels) had just exited their escape pod on Tatooine and were wandering through the desert. Daniels replicated a couple of lines from the original Star Wars film before R2 offered a few beeps, prompting 3PO to say, "You're going to the Super Bowl? We're going to the Super Bowl? Well, now that you ask, I am ready for some football."
Notably, this Star Wars-themed broadcast of Super Bowl LXI will be a historic one, as it will be the first time there has ever been a Funday Football broadcast of the Super Bowl.
Previously, there were three Funday Football telecasts. Toy Story Funday Football aired in October 2023, bringing the Atlanta Falcons-Jacksonville Jaguars game to life in an animated form. That particular broadcast was completely groundbreaking and earned three Sports Emmy Awards. The Simpsons Funday Football followed in December 2024 during the Cincinnati Bengals-Dallas Cowboys game. Then, Monsters Funday Football aired one year later in December 2025 for the Philadelphia Eagles-Los Angeles Chargers bout.
For reference, Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for February 14, 2027. The Funday Football telecast of the Super Bowl will air simultaneously with the regular broadcast of the football game. Specifically, it will be available to stream on Disney+ and the ESPN App as the game is ongoing. The telecast will also be made available to watch on Disney Channel and Disney XD.
It is also worth mentioning that ESPN, Disney, and the NFL aren't just planning on bringing C-3PO and R2-D2 back for the Funday Football Super Bowl campaign. Leading up to the Big Game, Darth Vader himself will be interviewing NFL players for every Monday Night Football game. Notably, it has not been announced who will voice Vader, but it is possible that James Earl Jones' voice could be recreated through AI.
For reference, it was confirmed that Jones' voice was captured for AI use so that his iconic sound could continue to be given to Vader in Star Wars projects. Fortnite has already used this AI version of Jones' voice for Vader, so it is possible that version of Vader could be the one featured on Monday Night Football.
Why Is There Going To Be a Star Wars Super Bowl?
Many fans may be scratching their heads at the decision to have a Star Wars-themed telecast of Super Bowl LXI, as it may seem rather random. While Star Wars hasn't seen the same level of success around the world it once did, there is still no denying that it is one of the biggest brands on the planet, and almost always commands attention.
However, most likely, the main reason Star Wars is being used is due to 2027 being the 50th anniversary of the galaxy far, far away. A New Hope (which, at the time, was just called Star Wars) came out in 1977, meaning it will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2027.
Star Wars and Disney already have quite a few celebrations planned to commemorate the franchise's milestone, and it seems as though this Super Bowl telecast will be yet another.
For reference, Disney and Lucasfilm already announced that A New Hope will be re-released in theaters in 2027 for the film's 50th anniversary. For the first time ever, it will be shown in IMAX 70mm.
Additionally, Star Wars Celebration will take place in Los Angeles, California next year, and fans will also be receiving a brand new Star Wars film (Starfighter) on the exact weekend that A New Hope debuted 50 years prior.
