James Earl Jones is retiring from his role as the voice of Darth Vader after almost 50 years. Jones will no longer be recording lines as Vader for any future “Star Wars” projects, according to CNN.
Who will voice Darth Vader now?
For those fearing a new Vader, don’t worry — Jones’s voice will be artificially recreated for future projects. According to NBC News, future “Star Wars” filmmakers will use archived voice recordings and AI technology to recreate his iconic voice.
Jones signed off for Disney and Lucasfilm to recreate his voice, per BBC. A Ukrainian startup was assigned the task of recreating Jones’s voice for the recent “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series on Disney+.
Why is James Earl Jones stepping away from the role?
Jones, 91, is reportedly “looking into winding down this particular character,” according to People. It is currently unclear if the actor will be stepping away completely or if he will still be involved in consulting for the character.
Jones has been the voice of Vader since the original “Star Wars” film in 1977.