The voice of Darth Vader comes back to haunt the rebels when James Earl Jones reprises his iconic voice acting role in the pilot for the animated series Star Wars Rebels. For the ABC broadcast of Star Wars Rebels: Spark Of Rebellion, which happens later this month, producers will add a scene that includes a cameo for Jones as the terrifying Sith lord.
Jones played the role of Darth Vader (with actor David Prowse in the suit) in the original Star Wars trilogy as well as in Revenge Of The Sith. Since Star Wars Rebels happens between the prequels and the original trilogy, Jones will reprise his role as Darth Vader in a cameo in the pilot as a treat for viewers who will catch it on ABC.
Star Wars Rebels will air again with a cameo of James Earl Jones as Darth Vader! Read more: http://t.co/jTzrN5bk8Y pic.twitter.com/V9U6NWna7q
— Entertainment Earth (@EntEarth) October 9, 2014
#StarWarsRebels fans rejoice! James Earl Jones is returning to a galaxy far, far away http://t.co/rc9cSIYQo9 pic.twitter.com/pAr3RAjleO
— IGN (@IGN) October 9, 2014
“We wanted to do something special for the ABC broadcast. We’ve added a scene which gives audiences insight into the Inquisitor and includes a cameo by Darth Vader voiced by the distinguished actor James Earl Jones,” said executive producer Dave Filoni.
According to a release from Disney, Star Wars Rebels: Mark of Rebellion garnered a viewership of 6.5 million when it aired on Disney Channel last week. The series will premiere on October 13 and has reportedly been picked up for a second season. Meanwhile, the ABC rebroadcast of the pilot in which Jones stars will be shown on October 26.
Jones has also been busy with his Broadway play You Can’t take It With You, in which he plays the role of Grandpa Vanderhoff, the patriarch of an eccentric New York family. Jones claimed in a CNN interview that the play was his first time to be in a comedy. When asked why it took so long for him to star in one, Jones said, “I guess I thought if you… if you took acting seriously, you had to take acting as serious, you know, and serious stuff.”