Jedi Survivor actor Cameron Monaghan shared a disappointing update regarding the character's live-action debut.
Disney+ has seen a considerable increase in Star Wars content. The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Tales of the Jedi, and Andor have all graced the small screen this year alone. The franchise is showing no signs of slowing down, with The Bad Batch Season 2, Ahsoka, The Mandalorian Season 3, and more all coming in the new year.
However, Jedi: Fallen Order protagonist Cal Kestis is one fan favorite yet to crossover into live-action. Fans are eager to see his story continue in Jedi: Survivor when it releases for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox in March 2023. The sequel was teased as a darker story than its 2019 predecessor, Jedi: Fallen Order.
As the game's release inches closer and anticipation builds, the audience's appetite for Cal's story cannot be appeased by video games alone, and many fans are keen to see the Jedi make his way to the live-action realm.
Now, Cameron Monaghan, who portrays Cal Kestis, sowed seeds of doubt about the prospect of a live-action appearance anytime soon.
Cal Kestis Actor Dashes Hopes of Live Action Star Wars Debut
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Shameless actor Cameron Monaghan emphasized the priority of giving Cal a "satisfying arc within the games" when asked about playing Cal in a live-action project:
"It’s been really amazing doing it within the video game space because I think games are vastly under-explored and underutilized, and are only really getting their due in this moment — people are looking at games and seeing they’re incredible and moving and significant. So my priority right now is to make sure we have a satisfying arc within the games."
Monaghan also reiterated his love for the character, that it's been a joy playing him "over the past few years," and that it's "anybody's guess" as to what the future holds for everyone's favorite scrapper:
"What happens or where Star Wars wants to go from there is anybody’s guess, but I can say I love Cal and it’s been a joy finding him over the past few years. So we’ll see."
Monaghan was also asked if there would be any "burning questions" addressed in the Fallen Order sequel. After joking that they wanted to address his hairstylist and where he got all of his iconic ponchos, Monaghan shared how he wanted to explore an older Cal who has been exposed to "years of fighting in a desperate situation" and teased Survivor's more mature and darker tone:
"I wanted to see what it looked like for Cal as he aged, and what a number of years of fighting in a desperate situation would look like for the character. How does that change his worldview? How does that change the way he interacts with people? How does it affect his decision-making? These were all questions we started kicking around while we were making the first [game], and then to be able to explore a mature story with Cal — one I would say is more challenging, darker."
What’s Next for the Star Wars Jedi Series?
Jedi Survivor will be one of many updates for Fallen Order fans. Star Wars have already confirmed two new books to be released in the first half of 2023.
Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars will be a sequel that follows the Matis crew in between the first and second games. Hitting shelves on March 7, 2023, just ten days before Jedi Survivor releases, fans are patiently waiting to hear more about this first tie-in novel.
The second book, an art book, will release in May 2023. Unlike the first art book released a few days after the first game, Fallen Order's success has led to a staggering of content to keep fans busy into the late spring months. Much like other art books, it will celebrate the artistic talent that made the next installment in the Star Wars Jedi series possible.
Beyond books and video games, there have also been plenty of rumors about Cal's live-action debut. Cameron Monaghan cast some doubt about when this may be, but he has previously commented that "of course there's interest."
These recent comments indicate that Cal Kestis' live-action debut is some time away. However, based on previous remarks about there being "interest," there have likely been conversations about a potential foray into live-action for the Star Wars Jedi star.
For now, though, Cal's story will remain told primarily through the under-appreciated medium of video games.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor releases on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox on March 17, 2023