James Arnold Taylor says he hasn’t been asked to voice Obi-Wan Kenobi in Battlefront II
By the look of things, actor James Arnold Taylor won’t be voicing Obi-Wan Kenobi in EA’s Battlefront II.
That’s based on the fact that Taylor replied to a question on his YouTube channel asking if he’ll voice Obi-Wan in the upcoming game by writing: “Not that I wouldn’t love to voice him, I’ve just not been asked so perhaps they are going a different direction.”
Taylor has voiced Obi-Wan several times, including in both Clone Wars TV shows, Pandemic’s Battlefront II, LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Disney Infinity 3.0.
I hesitated to report this because an actor saying he won’t voice a character in Battlefront II isn’t entirely newsworthy. However, I just wanted to comment on the matter before speculation that Obi-Wan won’t be in Battlefront II runs rampant.
Jango Fett versus Obi-Wan in concept art for Battlefront II.
For starters, it’s possible that Obi-Wan will be in Battlefront II, but will be voiced by a different actor. The character has been most notably portrayed by Ewan McGregor in the films and Stephen Stanton in the Rebels TV show. While McGregor might be a bit of stretch considering he’s only worked on the films, I could definitely see Stanton voicing the character (especially if it’s Ben Kenobi in the game). Someone completely new may also be voicing the character.
Taylor could’ve also been bluffing. While we do have the above concept art suggesting that Obi-Wan will be in the game (at least in ship form), the character has yet to be officially revealed. As such, Taylor could potentially be under a non-disclosure agreement and can’t discuss the matter.
Finally, it’s possible voice work hasn’t started for Obi-Wan and so Taylor just hasn’t been asked yet. This seems highly unlikely considering how deep into development the game is, but I suppose it is a possibility.
On the unfortunate side, it is conceivable that Obi-Wan won’t make it into Battlefront II. However, Taylor saying he hasn’t been asked to voice the character isn’t really indicative that will happen.
Ultimately, I don’t feel like Taylor’s comments prove that Obi-Wan won’t be in the game. While I certainly would love to have him voice the character (his work in The Clone Wars TV show was amazing!), Taylor not working on the game simply doesn’t rule Obi-Wan out.
Who would you like to voice Obi-Wan in Battlefront II? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or ping SWGO on Facebook or Twitter.
Battlefront II is due out November 17 on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. Be sure to check back with SWGO to stay up-to-date on all things Battlefront II.
