TheStar Warsfranchise has introduced many of their characters from external media into the world of live-action. Recently,The Book of Boba Fettfeatured the live-action debut of theruthless bounty hunter, Cad Bane. Before Bane,The Mandalorianintroduced Bo-Katan Kryze andAhsoka Tano in its second season. All three of these characters originated from the animated seriesStar Wars: The Clone Wars. They have proved how much the fans enjoy seeing their favorite characters return in a new medium.
Due to the overwhelming response that the live-action character debuts have generated, Lucasfilm has shown an eagerness to repeat that success with many more characters. The world has yet to see the much-requested Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn. But another character that fans are wanting to see in a live-actionStar Warsproject isCameron Monaghan’s Cal Kestis. He is a new video game character who has already won over the hearts of manyStar Warsfans. Here are several reasons why Lucasfilm should consider featuring Cameron Monghan’s Cal Kestis in a live-actionStar Warsproduction.
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The New Face of Star Wars Games
TheStar Warsfranchise began with a film released in the 70s, but the world knows that the franchise has become so much more. Many stories have been told outside the films, which includes television series and video games.Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderis considered canon, meaning that the game’s story is officially part of the same universe as the films. In fact, both Darth Vader andRogue One’s Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) both made an appearance inJedi: Fallen Order.
The game’s protagonist, Cal Kestis, has quickly become a belovedStar Warscharacter. There was a strong connection between the character and the fans because, during their time playing the game, they became Cal.Jedi: Fallen Orderreceived high praise and was a major commercial success. This success proved that Cal and his story worked, which should inspire confidence in Lucasfilm to continue using the character. Since Lucasfilm views the games as being part of the overarchingStar Warscanon, featuring Cal Kestis in a film or series would be a great way of bridging the worlds of live-action storytelling and video games together.
Survivor of Order 66
Order 66 was one of the biggest events inStar Warscanon. Thousands of Jedi were killed by the troops they had fought alongside during the Clone Wars. The animated series,Star Wars: The Clone Wars, revealed that the clone troopers had biochips implanted in their brains. Because of the implants, many of the clones were unable to disobey the order that turned them against the Jedi, who were branded as traitors to the Republic. As such, the Jedi went on the run, and thelist of survivors included: Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, and Kanan Jarrus. Respawn’sStar Warsaction-adventure game,Jedi: Fallen Order(2019), introduced fans to another survivor in Cal Kestis.
Cal was a young Jedi Padawan when Order 66 was activated. His master, General Tapau, was killed saving his life. Kestis went into hiding and was forced to keep his Jedi past a secret to survive. Unfortunately, Cal was unable to keep his identity a secret as he was later discovered by the Empire’s Inquisitors. The Disney+Obi-Wan Kenobiseries will be taking place afterStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sithand beforeStar Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. Cal’s story took place during the same time period in theStar Warstimeline. Two members of the Inquisitorius, the Second Sister and Ninth Sister, were villains Kestis had to run from and fight against. TheObi-Wan Kenobiseries will be introducing the Jedi-hunting Inquisitorius for the first time in live-action. Both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Cal Kestis spent time living in exile once Order 66 was activated. They both also initially planned to train Jedi to help them in their fight against the Empire.
During the events ofJedi: Fallen Order, Cal befriended a droid known as “BD-1.” Two years after the game’s release,The Book of Boba Fettshowcased a new droid that was also a BD unit. This inclusion showed the connective tissue between the television series and the games as the droid’s design was originally developed for the video game. A BD droid has already made the jump from video game to a live-actionStar Warsseries. Now, it is time for Lucasfilm to take advantage of the many great live-action storytelling opportunities with Cal Kestis. The timeline matching perfectly with theObi-Wan Kenobiseries has made it very easy for it to happen.
Related:Obi-Wan Kenobi Will Satisfy Star Wars Fans, Says Ewan McGregor
Cameron Monaghan is a Great Actor
Fans who only recognize Cameron Monaghan fromStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Ordermay not be aware that Monaghan is primarily a film and TV actor.Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderwas Monaghan’s first video game role. The actor has shown tremendous range and acting ability, perhaps being best known for his role as Ian Gallagher on Showtime’sShameless. Monaghan won the 2019 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Villain for his roles as Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska inGotham.Due to licensing issues, the Valeska twins were never explicitly referred to as the Joker. However,Gothammade many references to the DC character and Monaghan essentially played the iconic villain. Monaghan’s performance was impressive enough for some fans to choose him as their favorite live-action Joker. Monaghan also provided the voice for Superboy in DC’sReign of the Supermen. The actor is not currently attached to a big-budget television or film franchise, so Disney and Lucasfilm should lock him down while the actor is available and still has interest. Cal Kestis is aStar Warscharacter with massive live-action potential.
