The Best Way To Bring Beloved Star Wars Actor Back Is Already Written

Before Obi-Wan Kenobi became a Disney+ show, there were plans for it to be a feature film, but those plans were scuttled after the financial failure of Solo: A Star Wars Story. It also affected plans for a Boba Fett movie, which is how we got the disappointing Book of Boba Fett show. Had Solo been a success, then Temuera Morrison might have been pulling down two big paychecks, appearing both as the legendary bounty hunter in his own film and as Commander Cody in the Obi-Wan movie.

The Obi-Wan Kenobi series that we eventually got was very different from the planned film, telling a relatively tight story about the reclusive Jedi getting sucked into a mission that takes him away from Tattooine and puts him on a collision course with Darth Vader. But in the film script written by Stuart Beattie, Ewan McCregor’s Jedi would have acted alongside Temuera Morrison’s Commander Cody. The script actually had many comedic moments between these two, showcasing how they had bonded as old war buddies who now had to survive in a very different galaxy.

Beattie’s script has some genuinely funny bits, including Cody and Obi-Wan “bickering like an old married couple” and even a scene where they have to humorously dispose of dead bodies in the Sarlacc pit, only to discover that other shady characters are there to do the same thing.

However, what is more interesting is how this script would have given the veteran Clone Trooper some genuine pathos and guilt. Now that the chip is out of his head, he is driven by guilt over helping to murder all those Jedi and is devoted to protecting Kenobi and, later, a young Luke Skywalker.

Because the Obi-Wan Kenobi series has already come out, it would be difficult to adapt Beattie’s script beat-for-beat. Nonetheless, I think that the script, as described, provides a great blueprint for how to bring Temuera Morrison back to the franchise as Commander Cody. Quite frankly, the arc that Beattie wrote for this iconic character is already far more interesting than what we got in the first season of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and if the show gets a second season (it did have more views per episode than Andor and The Acolyte put together), giving Cody his buddy comedy relationship with the Jedi is the way to go.

Of course, before Temuera Morrison can come back as Commander Cody, Disney needs to answer some really tough questions. Does the future of Star Wars continue to revolve around Jedi and Sith and endless legacy characters? Or is it time to successfully pull off what The Acolyte tried and failed to do…namely, bring in compelling new characters to carry the franchise forward?

I certainly can’t speak for the entire Star Wars fandom, but if Disney decides to play it safe and bring Obi-Wan Kenobi back for a second season, then Temuera Morrison needs to come back as Commander Cody.

He helps ground a franchise that often gets too mystical, all while providing a link back to the prequels that entire generations of fans have grown up adoring. We may never see Boba Fett onscreen again, but this is the perfect chance for the actor to make a triumphant return to one of his most beloved and memorable roles.