James Earl Jones has retired from the voice of Darth Vader and has signed the rights to recreate his voice

It's the end of an era in a galaxy far, far away. James Earl Jones, who played Darth Vader for over 40 years, has officially retired.

Though the 91-year-old actor is credited with voicing the iconic villain in Disney+'s 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' limited series, the show's release has been accompanied by speculation as to whether whether he had actually recorded new dialogue for the show. In fact, he did not, although he participated in the project anyway. A new story reveals that Jones allowed the show's producers to recreate his voice using a combination of stock footage and artificial intelligence technology. The work was carried out by the Ukrainian startup Respeecher, which specializes in recreating the voices of former performers.

Jones first lent his distinctive baritone to the "Star Wars" universe in 1977 when he voiced Darth Vader in "Episode IV - A New Hope." He returned as a Sith Lord in "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" and has been present in every subsequent iteration of the franchise. He returned to voice the character in George Lucas' 2005 prequel film "Revenge of the Sith" and reprized the role in the Disney films "Rogue One" and "The Last Jedi." He also reprized the role in several episodes of the "Star Wars: Rebels" animated series.

Related Related

With his playing days with Darth Vader officially behind him, "Star Wars" fans can take comfort in the fact that they will continue to hear his voice on screen for years to come thanks to Respeecher. Along with allowing "Obi-Wan Kenobi" to use his voice, he offered advice on how best to proceed with the character. The show's sound editor, Matthew Wood, described his role as that of a "benevolent godfather" and noted that Jones was eager to see Darth Vader remain relevant for years to come.

Jones isn't alone in this sentiment, as 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' star Hayden Christensen recently expressed his desire to reprise the role.

"I think he's a character that kind of resonates in our culture and in a very deep way," Christensen said. “And there is definitely more to explore. There are so many other stories that have been told in these other media. »

No matter how Disney proceeds with the character, and whether Christensen or anyone else wears the helmet, fans will hear Jones' voice every time Darth Vader appears on screen.

Sign Up: Stay up to date with the latest film and TV news! Sign up for our email newsletters here.