Original Voice Actor for Darth Vader Is Returning For Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Entertainment Weekly and ABC have announced that Darth Vader is returning in the upcoming new Star Wars movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. James Earl Jones has been the voice behind villain Darth Vader in this upcoming Star Wars installment, which is set just before the events of the original Star Wars. Darth Vader might not be the main antagonist in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, as there is talk of a Dark Lord of the Sith churning up the evil behind the scenes.

Executive producer Kathleen Kennedy has told Entertainment Weekly: “He will be in the movie sparingly. But at a key, strategic moment, he’s going to loom large.” Producer John Knoll adds, “It’s not all going to be plain sailing for Vader. There is a lot of palace intrigue going on in the Empire, with people conspiring to move up the ranks and sabotaging each other.”

James Earl Jones lent his voice to the character Darth Vader in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), The Star Wars Holiday Special (TV Movie, 1977), Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005). Some reports on the same subject express the thought that the voice actor for Darth Vader does not sound the same anymore (although he does still sound cold and intimidating), perhaps because of his advancing age, and some articles go as far as to say that the makers of Star Wars would really need to look into hiring a new voice for Darth Vader soon. James Earl Jones is 85 years old, and it is pretty amazing he is still so very cool. Imagine your grandpa being the voice of Darth Vader! The actor who will play the physical Darth Vader has not been announced yet, so for now, Star Wars fans can enjoy his voice as Darth Vader in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, set for release in theaters in December 2016. It might just be the one-time chance to hear the original Darth Vader voice again.