There are few film franchises quite as popular as the Star Wars movies, as generations grew up on George Lucas' colorful galaxy. That IP continues to grow thanks to upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows, with the latter being available for those with a Disney+ subscription. But some actors have been with the property since the very beginning, including C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels. And the 79 year-old actor revealed what it as like filming A New Hope in full droid regalia in the middle of a dessert.

Daniels is a Star Wars OG who remains active as his role in C-3PO, including a recent cameo in Ahsoka. While he's no doubt used to playing everyone's favorite protocol droid, it was a tough transition for his very first appearance in George Lucas' A New Hope. While speaking at the FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture & Comic Convention (via ThePopVerse), he revealed what it was like a 3PO back in the day. As he put it:

That sounds pretty brutal. I can't imagine how hot and uncomfortable Daniels was while in C-3PO's costume. And even worse, he couldn't get take it off, and therefore also likely didn't eat or drink much at the same time. But fans are no doubt glad that the actor decided not to quit his role in the Star Wars franchise.

So exactly how did Daniels survive shooting all those Tatooine sequences in the dessert? It turns out that he had to advocate for himself, and get his C-3PO costume off for a while during each day. As he revealed:

Ouch. Obviously the suit looked amazing in film, and Peter Daniels has spent decades playing C-3PO on and off. I have to assume that it got a it more comfortable eventually, and no longer gave him scars and other wounds. Either way, it really sounds like he was a trooper for George Lucas' original film.

Fans are eager to see how the galaxy far, far way returns to theaters, with a new Star Wars trilogy slowly developing at Lucasfilm. But we've still got a ways to wait, as no titles are even on the 2025 movie release list or have a concrete release date.

Few people know the Star Wars franchise (streaming with a Disney+ subscription) quite like Anthony Daniels. He appeared in all nine movies of the Skywalker Saga, something nobody else can say. He was even in the ill-fated Star Wars Holiday Special. With that level of experience, his feelings on the franchise are something any fan is going to want to know. And as it turns out his favorite films in the Star Wars franchise could not be more different.

Anthony Daniels recently appeared at the FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture & Comic Convention and was asked about his favorite Star Wars movie. Daniels (via Popverse) named two movies, one that was his personal favorite film, and the one that he had the most fun making. Somewhat surprisingly, those two movies were about as different as they could be.

Anthony Daniels’ Favorite Star Wars Movie Is The First One

When discussing his favorite Star Wars movie, Daniels said it was the first one, the original Star Wars. At the time certainly nobody had any idea what the franchise could become, and the actor said that he appreciated the simplicity of the story, saying…

Alot of people who probably name the original Star Wars as their favorite of the series, if not their favorite movie ever. While The Empire Strikes Back tends to get named as the best Star Wars movie, there's something about that original film that can't be denied. It’s the movie that launched everything that came after and became the highest-grossing movie of all time.

Daniels Favorite Star Wars Movie To Film Was The Last One

One can imagine that considering how the original Star Wars was far from a sure thing, and George Lucas and his team were inventing various visual effects techniques at the time, making the original Star Wars might not have been too much fun. Daniels says the movie he actually enjoyed making the most was the last film of the sequel trilogy, specifically because he enjoyed working opposite Oscar Isaac. Daniels explained…

Oscar Isaac and Anthony Daniels certainly had a lot of interplay in the last film. Isaac and Daniels even wrapped shooting on The Rise of Skywalker on the same day. It's good that the pair enjoyed working together, and Daniels is nothing but complementary of Isaac as an actor.

Being “stuck with it” is certainly the way a lot of fans feel about The Rise of Skywalker if not the sequel trilogy more broadly. I'm among those that really didn't love the last Star Wars movie. Still, it’s nice to know that making the movie was a lot of fun. At least somebody got something out of it.

Ahsoka Season 1 was packed with familiar Star Wars faces, ranging from various Rebels characters being depicted in live-action to the first time, to Hayden Christensen reprising Anakin Skywalker following his return to the franchise in 2022 for Obi-Wan Kenobi. And then there was Anthony Daniels, who cameoed as C-3PO in the episode “Dreams and Madness” to help bail Hera Syndulla out of a jam. Half a year after that appearance, the actor has shared that he snuck in a clever homage to original Obi-Wan Kenobi actor Alec Guinness, and I wish it hadn’t been cut from the episode.

During a spotlight panel at MegaCon 2024 (via Popverse), Daniels talked about how he was approached to appear in Ahsoka Season 1’s penultimate episode. He agreed, flew out to Southern California and had the “most wonderful time,” and even cheekily described “Dreams and Madness” as “the best episode of Ahsoka ever, just saying.” He then talked about doing something “rather clever” for this courtroom scene that can be viewed with your Disney+ subscription, explaining:

That’s a fun callback to the scene in A New Hope, the first of the Star Wars movies in order (in terms of release) when Obi-Wan Kenobi used the Jedi Mind Trick on some stormtroopers when he, Luke Skywalker, C-3PO and R2-D2 were entering Mod Eisley. While C-3PO is obviously not gifted in the ways of The Force, and thus not truly capable of such mind manipulation, Anthony Daniels amusingly recycled the identification line for his Ahsoka appearance. Alas, the line ultimately didn’t make into the episode’s final cut, so unless an extended version of the courtroom scene is included on the Ahsoka Season 1 Blu-ray or even thrown onto Disney+, we’ll just have to imagine how this sounded.

For those who need a refresher, C-3PO stopped during Hera Syndulla’s disciplinary hearing, as she’d disobeyed orders from her New Republic superiors not to follow Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren to Seatos, where Morgan Elsbeth was located at the time. However, C-3PO came to the hearing on behalf of Leia Organa and provided a data transcript showing that the senator had personally sanctioned Hera’s mission to Seatos, and had been unaware that a vote against the mission had been spearheaded by Senator Xiono without her being present.

Because Leia was head of the Defense Council, she decided to overlook this misstep on the condition that future concerns like this were brought to her directly. After Hera was let off the hook, she thanked C-3PO, then informed Chancellor Mon Mothma had indeed approved her mission, but the timing of when she did so was a bit fudged. Anthony Daniels’ cameo followed a year after his brief appearance in Obi-Wan Kenobi’s first episode, with that series seeing Ewan McGregor reprising his younger version of the Jedi Master for the first time since Revenge of the Sith.

You can revisit Ahsoka, A New Hope and plenty of other Star Wars content over at Disney+. Remember to also keep visiting CinemaBlend for news on upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows, including Ahsoka Season 2, which is officially moving forward.

There are few film franchises quite as popular as Star Wars movies. While the nine-film Skywalker Saga ended years ago, the galaxy far, far away continues to expand thanks to shows on Disney+ and developing film projects. Now it seems Star Wars icon Anthony Daniels is teasing his return at C-3PO, but where will he pop up?

Anthony Daniels originated the role of C-3PO back with Star Wars: A New Hope, reprising the role in all three trilogies and showing no signs of wanting to retire. He last played the role in live-action for Rise of Skywalker, while continuing to voice the droid in animated projects and theme park attractions. The 75 year-old actor recently teased another return to 3PO, as you can see below,

Well, color me intrigued. Anthony Daniels continues to be a delightful presence in the Star Wars community, and it looks like he’s once again going to be playing everyone’s favorite protocol droid. But exactly when and where his C-3PO will pop up remains a mystery for the time being.

The above image comes to us from the personal Instagram of Anthony Daniels. In it we see the Star Wars icon rocking a motion capture suit that’s often used to bring costumes and VFX characters to life. He looks thrilled to be rocking those mocap pajamas, which are no doubt much more comfortable than suiting up in C-3PO’s bulky costume. He’s been playing the fan favorite character for decades, it’s about time he does so comfortably.

The comments section for Anthony Daniels’ post on the Gram shows just how excited the generations of Star Wars fans are for his mysterious return as C-3PO. Most people are inquiring as to exactly what his role might be. But there’s also plenty of love thrown the legendary actor’s way. After all, there are multiple generations that grew up with his performances in all nine installments of the Skywalker Saga (plus Rogue One).

Of course, it’s also possible that Anthony Daniels could be playing another character in the Star Wars universe entirely. This wouldn’t be the first time, as he recently portrayed a newcomer named Tak in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Although the hashtags used by Daniels seem to hint that he is indeed playing his signature role.

Star Wars fans (myself included) are definitely intrigued to see how the franchise continues its journey on the big screen. While a number of shows on Disney+ are in the works, it’s unclear exactly when the property will return to theaters. Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron was delayed indefinitely, while Taika Waititi will no doubt focus on Thor: Love and Thunder’s release before diving into his own mysterious movie.

The Star Wars franchise continues to grow thanks to new episodes of The Book of Boba Fett. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

For the longest time, the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special was seen as one of the strangest and most divisive additions to the franchise. And while the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special does involve some pretty out there scenarios (Rey traveling back in time, Emperor Palpatine trying to change the future, the Max Rebo Band), the new Disney+ offering is a lot of fun to share with the whole family.

This is thanks in part to the stellar voice cast, which includes some returning Star Wars greats from the main movies as well as voice actors who made their mark on various animated series and video games from the iconic pop culture staple. If you are in the camp that was wondering who was voicing who throughout the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special and want to be totally sure, you've come to the right place. Here's the voice cast of the latest LEGO Star Wars special and where you've seen, err, heard them before.

Kelly Marie Tran - Rose Tico

Your ears weren't playing tricks on you while watching the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, that is Kelly Marie Tran reprising her role of Rose Tico in the Disney+ special. Tran, who first played the Resistance mechanic-turned-hero in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and then again in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, is front and center throughout the animated title as she helps with Life Day celebrations with her old gang. And admittedly, it's great to see the actress back in the role, especially when it seemed like she wouldn't return to the franchise following backlash from fans following her 2017 debut.

Billy Dee Williams - Lando Calrissian

The great Billy Dee Williams is the second of three familiar Star Wars names who returned for the new holiday special. Williams, who became an international (or intergalactic) superstar with his appearance as the dashing and dastardly Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back and again in Return of the Jedi. Following a 30-year absence from the franchise (but not the public eye), Williams first reprised his famous character in 2014's The Lego Movie, and then again in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Anthony Daniels - C-3PO

Anthony Daniels, who returns as C-3PO in the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, had some blunt words about the the original holiday special, which was released 42 years ago today, when discussing the latest Disney+ offering with CinemaBlend, but the veteran actor gives it his all as the iconic protocol droid constantly in the middle of the galaxy's fiercest battles. Daniels has appeared in multiple LEGO Star Wars titles over the years, and even appeared alongside Billy Dee Williams in 2014's The Lego Movie.

Helen Sadler - Rey

Even though it sounds like Daisy Ridley once again brought Rey to life in the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, it is actually Helen Sadler voicing Emperor Palpatine's granddaughter in the Disney+ title. Sadler, who has appeared in small roles on shows like True Blood and NCIS over the years, is no stranger to the Star Wars universe, as she previously voiced Rey on LEGO Star Wars: The Resistance Rises and Jyn Erso on Star Wars: Forces of Destiny. Sadler has also provided her voice for multiple Star Wars video games over the years, including Star Wars: Battlefront II.

Jake Green - Poe Dameron

If you thought that was Oscar Isaac returning as Poe Dameron in the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, I'm afraid to tell you that it is actually long-time voice actor Jake Green as the cocky Resistance fighter. Green, who has provided his voice for a number of games including Spider-Man: Miles Morales and The Last of Us Part II, has also appeared on shows like Veronica Mars, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Grey's Anatomy over the years.

Omar Miller - Finn

Just like with Rey and Poe, Finn isn't voiced by his original actor, John Boyega, but instead by the talented Omar Miler in the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special. In addition to being the voice of Raphael, aka Raph, in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and appearing in the live-action CBS comedy The Unicorn, Miller has spent much of the past 18 years showing up in movies like 8 Mile, Miracle at St. Anna, and The Sorcerer's Apprentice, but he is probably best remembered for his portrayal of Walter Simmons on CSI: Miami or Charles Greene on Ballers.

Trevor Devall - Emperor Palpatine

The strangely humorous, but nonetheless menacing Emperor Palpatine is voiced by veteran voice actor and podcaster Trevor Devall in the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, a role he has served multiple times over the years. This is the fourth Star Wars animated title that has included Devall's voice as the one behind the Sith Lord and perennial thorn in the side of the entire galaxy. Other appearances by Devall's Palpatine include Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales, Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, and Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles. Devall has also voiced characters like Rocket Raccoon and Steve Rogers over the years as well.

Matthew Wood - Kylo Ren

The list of voice actors reprising some of their most famous roles in the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special doesn't stop with Trevor Devall's Emperor Palpatine as Matthew Wood once again voiced Kylo Ren in the Disney+ special. Wood previously appeared as the First Order's Supreme Leader on Star Wars Resistance and Lego Star Wars: All-Stars. He has also provided voice work for Star Wars properties going back to 1999's Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace, and has appeared in every theatrical release since then. His biggest role was in 2005's Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith, in which he voiced General Grievous.

Matt Sloan - Darth Vader

James Earl Jones will always be THE voice of Darth Vader, but there is no one who has taken on the role of the fallen Jedi more times than Matt Sloan. Including the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, Sloan has voiced Vader no fewer than a dozen times, including Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and its sequel, The Force Unleashed II, Star Wars Battlefront II, and LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out and LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles.

Matt Lanter - Anakin Skywalker

Matt Lanter is another member of the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special cast who reprises a role they made famous in the past. In the new Disney+ special, Lanter appears once again as Anakin Skywalker, a character he voiced on Star Wars: The Clone Wars (both the movie and subsequent animated television series) starting in 2008. In addition to The Clone Wars, Lanter has voiced Anakin on Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars Forces of Destiny as well as multiple video games ties to the franchise, including Star Wars Battlefront II.

Tom Kane - Qui-Gon Jinn / Yoda

Tom Kane pulls double-duty in the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special as Yoda and Qui-Gon Jinn, two roles he's voiced in the past. The new Disney+ title is only the second time Kane has voiced the Jedi knight who found Anakin Skywalker, but the number of times he has appeared as the ancient Jedi master is in the dozens at this point. This includes video games like Star Wars Pinball, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles, as well as shows like Lego Star Wars: The Padawan Menace, The Clone Wars, and Star Wars Forces of Destiny. Kane also voiced Admiral Ackbar in the first two Sequel Trilogy movies.

James Arnold Taylor - Obi-Wan Kenobi

James Arnold Tayor is no stranger to Star Wars animated projects, especially as Obi-Wan Kenobi, and so it should come as no surprise that he once again lent his voice talents to the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special. Taylor's previous appearances include Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and multiple video game adaptations over the years.

Dee Bradley Baker - Clone Trooper

And then there is Dee Bradley Baker, who once again voices various Clone Troopers in the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, something the veteran voice actor has been doing since the 2008 premiere of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie. Besides Star Wars, Baker has also voiced Daffy Duck and other characters in Space Jam and other Looney Tunes projects over the years.

That catches us up with the different characters and their voice actors in the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special. Did you enjoy the new Disney+ title more than the 1978 original? Let us know in the comments below.

Star Wars has been around for more than four decades but since Disney purchased Lucasfilm we've seen more new Star Wars content in the last few years that nearly the entire run of the franchise combined. This has created a host of new characters for fans to fall in love with and it's also brought back a lot of fan favorites. Those that have played human characters look to have largely said their goodbyes to Star Wars, but when you play a droid, you can technically live forever. Of course, the actual actors can't so would C-3PO himself, Anthony Daniels, even hang up his golden helmet. Certainly not any time soon according to the actor.

I had a chance to speak with Anthony Daniels ahead of this very special week that will see the actor voice C-3PO in two different projects. First, Tuesday will see the release of The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special on Disney+, and then Thursday will be the release of Star Wars: Takes From the Galaxy's Edge, a new VR game from ILMXLab. With so much going on, I asked Daniels if he saw an end in sight for his performance of the character, and basically, not yet...

Anthony Daniels does say that he doesn't expect to be making movies as C-3PO anytime soon, if ever again, but that doesn't mean he's going to be done playing the role. Between animated opportunities, video games and other places where he can lend his voice, it appears that anyplace where the Star Wars universe needs our favorite protocol droid, he'll be there. He also teased at least one more project that is already planned where he will, or possibly already has brought C-3PO to life.

Anthony Daniels appearance in The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special is minimal, but that makes the appearance feel that much more special. Based on what we've seen of Tales of the Galaxy's Edge a VR experience based around the theme park land at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, it appears he'll be a bigger part of that, though possibly not as much as we first thought, as at least part of the game has promised to be the first official look fans have had of The High Republic, the new era of Star Wars storytelling which is set hundreds of years before the prequels, and as such, it would take a pretty massive retcon to put 3PO there.

The LEGO Star Wars Holiday special hits Disney+ on Tuesday. The first episode of Star Wars: Tales of the Galaxy's Edge arrives on the Oculus Quest 2 on Thursday.

Star Wars as a franchise has millions of fans all over the world. As a franchise, seemingly everybody loves it, and while there are certainly disagreements about which parts of it are best, you're likely to find somebody somewhere who will defend their favorite part of it from those that claim any given film isn't as good. However, there may be one part of the Star Wars universe which is generally agreed upon to be terrible. You'll find few people who love the Star Wars Holiday Special, at least few who don't love it ironically.

Which is why it was something of a shock to Anthony Daniels, who, as C-3PO, was part of that original special in 1978, when he was told a new holiday special was being planned for Disney+. I recently had a chance to speak with Daniels about the new The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special and I asked him what his first thought was when he heard about the new project. His response was just as honest as it was hilarious. Daniels said...

Of course, The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special is a very different animal than the 1970s variety show that was at the core of the original, but even by using the name, the new holiday special is designed to specifically evoke the original one, which, as Daniels explained, was a real surprise to him. The "horror" wasn't so much that somebody would make a new holiday special, but that somebody would do it in a way that so intentionally causes people to think of the first one. Those are not good thoughts.

Whether true or not, the original Star Wars Holiday Special has an infamous reputation as a project that George Lucas simply ignored and mostly pretended never happened. Viewed as a product of 1970s television, the special is very much like other variety show specials of its day. Taken as a piece of Star Wars, it's a bizarre piece of the canon.

And to be sure The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, while it is still very much a separate thing, stops to reference and poke fun at that original holiday special at numerous points. But in doing so, you can't help but be reminded, assuming you've ever seen it, of the, let's be honest, truly terrible original. Even Anthony Daniels, while describing the new special to me, had to stop and recover as memories of the first one came flooding in...

We probably won't ever see the original Star Wars Holiday Special on Disney+, so perhaps, in a few years, new generations will simply adopt the new LEGO version as the one true and only holiday special, and that other one can finally be forgotten.

The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special debuts on Disney+ November 17, the 42nd anniversary of the debut of the original. Why do they keep trying to remind us of it?

Every Star Wars fan has their own personal rankings of which Star Wars movie is best. These rankings are all over the internet, from Amazon to Rotten Tomatoes; people love to review and rank these movies. Heck, even we have our own rankings that includes Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. It’s just what we do.

Well, this habit to rank the franchise hasn’t eluded Star Wars acting veteran and gold protocol droid, Anthony Daniels aka C-3PO. He recently went on social media to announce that he’s always had a favorite Star Wars, but that he’s suddenly changed his mind after all this time. Here’s what he said:

Star Wars: A New Hope has been a fan favorite since the very beginning. So, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that it made the top spot in Anthony Daniels’s ranking all this time. However, Anthony Daniels picking Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is also a fine choice.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back has become the gold standard of Star Wars movies, but it wasn’t always so. When released, many critics gave it mixed and lukewarm reviews. Even Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson remembers feeling disappointed by The Empire Strikes Back when he went to see it in the theater.

In the sequel trilogy, original characters like Han Solo, Leia Organa, and Luke Skywalker all got considerable screen time, but not so much for Anthony Daniels. He barely appeared in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, something Anthony Daniels particularly regretted, saying he became no more than a table decoration

Of course, all that changed in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. His character became integral to the story. And, as it turns out, we could have gotten even more of the Threepio, but a lot was left on the cutting room floor.

Over the years, Anthony Daniels has been particularly active in Star Wars fandom, taking considerable responsibility over his character C-3PO. He loves to make appearances at Star Wars events and frequently sheds his wisdom. In one particular case, he warned fans about Baby Yoda toys, saying it’s not just a cute toy, it’s a responsibility.

Anthony Daniels made his final run as C-3PO with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. During the D23 Expo, he spoke a bit about the emotional farewell on set, saying it was difficult and that he shed a few tears. Now he gets to walk slowly off into the sunset and retire from those stuffy, gold costume days. But, I doubt this is the last we’ll see of the character C-3PO

While many of the primary players from the Star Wars franchise’s Original Trilogy returned to take part in the Sequel Trilogy, not all of them received a lot of screen time. In the case of C-3PO, he barely had anything to do in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, making it particularly notable when he was given an expanded presence in last year’s The Rise of Skywalker.

As it turns out though, C-3PO’s role in The Rise of Skywalker could have been even bigger than what we saw in theaters. Here’s what the golden protocol droid’s actor, Anthony Daniels, had to say about the character’s trimmed screen time after he was asked whether he went into the movie with a similar mentality as when the droid was saying goodbye to his friends:

For those who need a recap on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, C-3PO accompanied, Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, Chewbacca and BB-8 on their mission to find a Sith wayfinder, which would direct them to Palpatine’s fleet. They group eventually finds a Sith dagger inscribed with Sith text that C-3PO was capable of translating, but his programming prevented him from saying the translation.

To get around this, the team bypassed C-3PO’s protocols using a slicer, resulting in the droid losing his memories. Fortunately, they were restored later in the movie by R2-D2 using an earlier backup. So C-3PO’s role in The Rise of Skywalker certainly wasn’t inconsequential, but as Anthony Daniels laid out in his interview with IGN, there was a fair amount left on the cutting room floor, including more scenes between C-3PO and Poe Dameron. In the actor’s words:

While it’s understandable that Anthony Daniels is sad that the original vision for C-3PO’s Rise of Skywalker journey wasn’t fully realized in the final cut, as he rightly pointed out, this movie had a lot of balls to juggle. Along with wrapping up the Sequel Trilogy, it also had to serve as the final chapter of the entire Skywalker Saga, resulting in a lot of plot threads being closed in a nearly two and a half hour runtime.

Some fat had to be trimmed, and that included a handful of C-3PO’s scenes. Still, unlike in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, where C-3PO basically just cameoed, at least he had an important part in The Rise of Skywalker. With this movie marking the conclusion of the original Star Wars cinematic saga, it was all the more appropriate that C-3PO, who’s been part of this story since the beginning, contributed in a meaningful way.

As for whether we’ll see C-3PO in the Star Wars franchise again, Anthony Daniels doubts it will happen in a Star Wars movie since the Skywalker Saga has “rightly” ended and there’s “plenty of galaxy yet to be explored.” Still, with this fictional universe expanding in various ways, it’s a good bet we’ll at least hear more of Anthony Daniels as C-3PO in the years to come.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is now available on Digital HD, Blu-ray and DVD. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all the biggest updates concerning the Star Wars franchise’s film and TV corners.

There are few characters more vital to the history of Star Wars as C-3PO and Chewbacca. They are among the limited group of key supporting players who have appeared in all three trilogies of the Skywalker Saga, and being non-human characters their specific designs have long informed the larger aesthetic of the galaxy far, far away.

Given this significance, it’s hard to imagine what it must have been like for the actors delivering what may be their final performances in the roles in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker… which is why I specifically decided to ask stars Anthony Daniels and Joonas Suotamo about the experience during the movie’s recent Los Angeles press day.

You can watch the clip from the interview by clicking play on the video below:

As you would expect, Anthony Daniels is very aware of the effect that seeing C-3PO has on people, having been playing the character for more than 40 years, and he noted that it was something he had no problem taking advantage of in the making of Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker – where he has a role far larger than the one he played in either Star Wars: The Force Awakens or Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

How did he go about doing this? It started with not breaking the illusion for the crew while cameras were rolling. Anthony Daniels wouldn’t actually go on set until he had gone through the unique costuming process that brings C-3PO alive. As he explained, the actor just couldn’t get enough of how people would react to and behave around the legendary droid:

The experience was a bit different for Joonas Suotamo, given that he inherited the role of Chewbacca from Peter Mayhew in the making of Star Wars: The Force Awakens – but being in such heavy makeup and wearing a costume that so completely disguised him still allowed him to feel that same kind of awed energy from people involved in the production. There is truly no character in cinematic history quite like him, and he always turns heads.

Naturally there was a particular pressure that came part and parcel with everything, as the actor felt a deep responsibility for carrying on the legacy of the character, but he could still be wowed seeing the world through Chewbacca’s eyes. Said Suotamo,

Clearly the presence of C-3PO and Chewbacca on the set of Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker heightened the emotions of everyone involved as soon as they arrived – and this made it all that much harder to say goodbye at the very end. I also asked the actors about their respective last days shooting their roles, and they discussed the specialness of the moment.

Anthony Daniels explained that there was a bit of irony involved with his particular role on the last day he was on set as C-3PO. As any fan will tell you, one of the most iconic aspects of the character is the fact that he never seems to know when to shut up – which is why it was a bit odd that Daniels’ last day playing the role didn’t feature any dialogue:

Discussing his own experience, Joonas Suotamo revealed something that I genuinely didn’t know: that the production specifically didn’t tell the actors what their last shot on the film was going to be. Based on arguments that the actor laid out, it definitely made sense as a policy – and he was still ready to deliver a speech (in full costume, of course) when J.J. Abrams announced that it was a wrap on Chewbacca in Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker:

Stepping back in, Anthony Daniels noted that he now has a significant amount of experience witnessing what appears to be the end of Star Wars with both Return of the Jedi and Revenge of the Sith, but this one was particularly special. Said Daniels,

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker, starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Kelly Marie Tran, Naomi Ackie, Billy Dee Williams, Keri Russell, Richard E. Grant, Domhnall Gleeson, and more, arrives in theaters today.

The Mandalorian gifted the world with the adorable Baby Yoda and Star Wars fans haven’t been the same since. The precious Baby Yoda has stolen the hearts of the internet, though his cuteness has now extended to Disneyland, where he was spotted pointing to a Galaxy’s Edge baby station. Star Wars’ Anthony Daniels is very aware of the power Baby Yoda has and offered a surprising warning for fans of the lovable creature.

C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels, who’s appearing next in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, was actually one of the fair few around when Yoda was created. Asked for his thoughts on the beloved new creature, Daniels suggested Baby Yoda should be seen as more than just an adorable fad.

It’s an interesting warning. Anthony Daniels, when speaking to Huffington Post, seems to suggest that Baby Yoda isn’t just a throwaway character and he’s right. The internet’s fascination with the character, which has extended to include a petition to create a Baby Yoda emoji, has become an obsession. The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau even tried to pinpoint the reason for why Star Wars fans were so curious about this sweet, wide-eyed green baby.

Baby Yoda's connection to Star Wars icon Yoda has yet to be made clear on The Mandalorian but Jon Favreau said we'd learn more about the 50-year-old "Child" across the season. There’s no telling if fans will heed Anthony Daniels’ warning that Baby Yoda is not just a cute toy, but at least the character has united Star Wars fans, who briefly took a break from arguing over The Last Jedi. Even Disney CEO Bob Iger is smitten with the creature and went so far as to compare the feeling of seeing Baby Yoda for the first time to the one he had when Leonardo DiCaprio first joined the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains.

Unfortunately, Anthony Daniels’ C-3PO and Baby Yoda don’t occupy the same space, but it’s a safe bet that the actor will keep an eye out for the adorable, soup-sipping creature. The Mandalorian is currently available to stream on Disney+. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our guide to everything that's coming to the streaming service.

A lot of people had a lot of problems with Star Wars: The Last Jedi. While most of the cast and crew of the current Star Wars trilogy has come to the defense of the film, one actor, Anthony Daniels, who plays C-3PO, admits that he did have one issue with the previous Star Wars movie, the way his own character was handled.

Trailers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and comments made by some of the cast, have indicated that something big is in store for our favorite frantic droid in the new movie, but that's in stark contrast to the way 3PO was handled in The Last Jedi. Daniels wishes he'd been given more to do in that movie as well. According to the actor...

It's certainly true that C-3PO doesn't have a lot to do in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. He's part of the Rebellion fleet but he just sort of follows along with that part of the story, rarely doing or saying much on his own. If he hadn't been there at all, it wouldn't have changed things much.

Honestly, the same could be said for Star Wars: The Force Awakens as well. While C-3PO is maybe a bit more useful there, it's really only by a matter of degree.

This is certainly a far cry from the previous films. In Star Wars: A New Hope, C-3PO and R2-D2 are the audience POV characters. We largely see the entire movie through their eyes and we learn about the galaxy far, far, away as they do the same. From there, the droids aren't ever the focus of the story, but they're always there, and they're always doing something, even if it's mainly providing some comic relief.

However, C-3PO and R2-D2 have been largely supplanted by BB-8 when it comes to droid focus in the new trilogy.

That appears to be changing in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, however. As Anthony Daniels tells Empire, he does "weird stuff" this time around, but it means the biggest trilogy finale for his character of the three he has been part of.

Of course, we don't know much in the way of details. We know he's going to do something big, as he's feels a need to take "one last look" at his friends, and we've seen his eyes change color. His action figure even comes loaded with weapons, implying C-3PO may be more involved in the fight itself than ever before.

Whether The Rise of Skywalker will make up for C-3PO being on the sidelines for so long, we don't know, but we'll find out when the Skywalker Saga comes to an end December 20.

C-3PO has been present in all the Star Wars movies except for Solo: A Star Wars Story (where Anthony Daniels played a different role), but it’s no secret that where the Sequel Trilogy is concerned, the golden protocol droid hasn’t gotten a lot of screen time thus far.

However, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker looks to be putting the character is a more prominent position judging by the trailers that have come out. Sure enough, Anthony Daniels, the man who brings C-3PO to life, has confirmed that the expert in human/cyborg relations is essential to the plot of the Skywalker Saga conclusion. In his words:

We got our first hint that something big was in store for C-3PO in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, back in August, when the D23 preview showed the droid’s eyes glowing red for some strange reason. Then the October trailer rolled around, where we see Threepio hooked up to some machinery and telling Poe Dameron that he’s taking one last look at his friends. Naturally that prompted speculation from fans about whether Threepio will die in The Rise of Skywalker.

We’ll have to wait until The Rise of Skywalker unfolds next month to learn C-3PO’s ultimate fate, although clearly he’s going through some kind of reprogramming given the red eyes and Babu Frik the tiny alien messing around with the wiring in his head. Regardless, as Anthony Daniels laid out to Entertainment Weekly, the golden droid won’t be window dressing again, and furthermore, we’ll see a new aspect of him by digging into “ancient” Star Wars lore.

I’m curious about what Anthony Daniels means when means by this. As far as the droid’s origins go, we learned in The Phantom Menace that Anakin Skywalker rebuilt C-3PO, but perhaps The Rise of Skywalker will provide insight on the droid’s past from before the young pod-racer found him in a Tatooine junkyard. After all, The Rise of Skywalker is the final chapter of a nine-movie saga, so this could be a way for the movie to simultaneously tie back to the first chronological Star Wars movie and delve into an unexplored corner of this mythos.

Since The Rise of Skywalker is the final installment of the Skywalker Saga, this will likely be the last time we see C-3PO, and most of the starring characters, on the big screen, though he’ll almost certainly pop up again in other material down the line, like books, comics and maybe even an animated series. Still, it’s nice to know that C-3PO has a significant role to play in this momentous tale rather than just cameoing again.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens in theaters on December 20, so keep checking back for continuing coverage. In the meantime browse through our 2019 release schedule to figure out what other movies you want to see before the year is over.

The Star Wars franchise has been been enthralling moviegoers for decades, and is showing no signs of slowing down. While anticipation for J.J. Abrams' The Rise of Skywalker is at a fever pitch, it all started with George Lucas' vision and 1977's A New Hope. That vision has entertained for decades, although Lucas himself never got Oscar attention. And according to C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels, Lucas was snubbed for his contribution to the film industry.

Anthony Daniels has starred as C-3PO in every main installment in the Star Wars franchise, and has been involved in the beloved space opera since its inception. George Lucas' vision and filmmaking capabilities changed the film world, and inspired countless sci-fi projects. Daniels recently spoke to this dynamic, and expressed his anger about it. As he put it,

You have to love that type of passion and respect. Anthony Daniels' name is synonymous with Star Wars at this point, and he's got a real loyalty for the brand. Especially George Lucas, who was the architect behind the entire franchise ahead of Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm.

Anthony Daniels' comments to The Sun point out the franchise's poor history when it comes to Awards like the Oscars. While the property is usually given attention for its visual effects and score, writing, direction, and performances don't get the same nominations. Daniels seems to have particular umbrage with the treatment of George Lucas during the original and prequel trilogies. Likely because he helped move the entire film world forward while working on Star Wars.

Related: Anthony Daniels Feels Like Star Wars Put Out Too Many Movies At Once

George Lucas directed the first six Star Wars movies, creating a pop culture phenomenon in the process. The franchise has been endlessly quoted throughout the decades, and passed down from generation to generation. Given just how massive and beloved the space opera is, it's somewhat surprising that it never got much love from the Film Academy. Although its lack of major nominations may relate to the same issue that's happening superhero and streaming movies.

The Academy Awards are the top honor in the film world, and they're not easy to acquire. Lately, streaming movies coming from outlets like Netflix have had a difficult time being considered for Oscars. Superhero movies have also had a hard time getting recognized, although that changed with projects like Black Panther and Logan.

Anthony Daniels will reprise his role as C-3PO in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the end of the Skywalker Saga are fast approaching, and it’s about time to start preparing to see the climactic film. You may have already scooped up your tickets and watched and dissected the final trailer a dozen times, but C-3PO still has an assignment for you to complete before Episode IX’s December 20 release date. Watch below as C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels encourages fans to re-watch Star Wars before The Rise of Skywalker.

Anthony Daniels is encouraging fans to get ready to see The Rise of Skywalker by re-watching all of the previous Star Wars movies before the new one hits theaters. When C-3PO talks, the heroes in a galaxy far, far away don’t always listen, but you’d do well to heed Anthony Daniels here because he is speaking sense.

We are two months away from when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters, and if you want to re-watch the Skywalker Saga before its closing chapter, you need to start soon. Sure, you could wait until the last moment and marathon all of the films at home, or even do the 27 hour 21 minute marathon in theaters, but that’s a lot of pressure at the last minute if you run out of time or can’t make it.

So it’s best to get started early, and with T-minus 50 days until The Rise of Skywalker’s release it’s time to get going. As Anthony Daniels notes in the video from SFX Magazine, they are doing one movie a week, starting with Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. On that schedule of one movie a week, if you start with the Prequels this week, you would complete the eight-film Skywalker Saga the week of The Rise of Skywalker’s release.

That’s of course not counting if you want to incorporate Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Solo: A Star Wars Story into your re-watch as well. So while two months might seem like a long time, it’s can creep up on you real fast. For casuals and die-hard Star Wars fans alike, re-watching the existing films is a great way to refresh your memory, as well as get yourself excited and in the mood for a new Star Wars movie.

A Skywalker Saga re-watch may be especially beneficial for The Rise of Skywalker because it is the final film in this 40+ year journey. Director J.J. Abrams set out to make a movie that is a cohesive ending to the rest of the saga that answers as many questions as possible. So if I had to guess, having the rest of the films fresh in your mind, from the Prequel Trilogy to the Original Trilogy to the Sequel Trilogy, will make for a more rewarding experience.

It’s especially fitting that Anthony Daniels is encouraging us to re-watch this saga, when in the final trailer for The Rise of Skywalker, C-3PO talked about taking one last look at his friends in an incredibly emotional moment. The Rise of Skywalker will be our last look at these friends from a galaxy far, far away on the big screen, so it's best to savor it.

Re-watching all of the Skywalker Saga isn’t the only thing Star Wars fans have on their plates before The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters. The very first live-action Star Wars TV series, The Mandalorian, drops its first episode on the new Disney+ streaming service at launch on November 12 and will continue until the end of the year. And for the gamers out there, the new game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order arrives on November 15.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker blasts into theaters on December 20. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see what movies are coming out before then, and let us know below how you’re doing your Skywalker Saga re-watch.

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Since Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, the studio hasn’t been shy with expanding the Star Wars universe on the big screen. In the last four years alone, an entirely new trilogy for the Skywalker Saga has come to fruition – along with standalone movies Rogue One and Solo. Not to mention Disneyland’s roll-out of Galaxy’s Edge in the parks and The Mandalorian coming to Disney+ next month.

It’s an overwhelming amount of content for Star Wars fans to digest, after a history where a bit of patience benefitted the franchise. When the original batch of films were made (including the prequels), moviegoers had to wait three years before revisiting a galaxy far, far away. Anthony Daniels, aka C-3PO, is the only actor to have appeared in every main Star Wars film and he has some thoughts on Star Wars fatigue. In his words:

So there is such a thing as too much Star Wars! Although Anthony Daniels’ C-3PO has a supporting role in the franchise, he’s likely been hard at work in and out of the suit for the past few years more than ever before. He would know better than most about whether Star Wars fatigue is a valid problem Disney has bestowed on fans, and he agreed to The Times the House of Mouse overstuffed screens too fast.

At this point, it seems the studio is used to instant gratification for fans. Marvel movies are doing good? Let’s release a MCU movie three times a year. Those live-action remakes made money? How about we do three more in 2019? This isn’t even a over dramatization – Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home came this year from the Marvel side and Dumbo, Aladdin and The Lion King on the Disney live-action side. That’s all without mention of Toy Story 4, Frozen II and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.

The most obivious manifestation of Star Wars fatigue was in 2018 when Solo hit theaters just five months after The Last Jedi. The movie about Han Solo’s origin story might have been a huge hit years ago, namely just because it was of the Star Wars universe, but it vastly underperformed with a $392 million worldwide gross in comparison to the franchise usually breaking the $1 billion mark.

Disney CEO Bob Iger has admitted the studio went too hard, too fast with putting out Star Wars content. He said Disney will ”be a little bit more careful about volume and timing” in the future, starting with a hiatus after Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker comes out. There’s still tons more Star Wars in the works though, with a trilogy from Rian Johnson, film by the Game of Thrones creators and a Obi Wan and Rogue One spinoff series coming to Disney+.

Heading into Rise of Skywalker, it looks as if it could be Anthony Daniels’ last movie as C3PO when the movie hits theaters on December 20.

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As we get closer to the holiday season there is one movie on the mind of cinephiles: Star Wars. The beloved space opera will pick back up this December with The Rise of Skywalker, with J.J. Abrams returning to the franchise to wrap up the current trilogy, as well as the nine-film Skywalker Saga. The generations of fans are eager to see how the story ends, with little bits of information slowly being revealed as the blockbuster approaches. Episode IX will reportedly have an epic lightsaber battle between Rey and Kylo Ren, and it sounds like filming that sequence was a grueling experience.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker marks Anthony Daniels' final performance as C-3PO. The upcoming movie will give that droid far more screen time, putting him on an epic adventure alongside the trio of new heroes. Daniels is currently doing press for his new book I Am C-3PO - The Inside Story, and recently spoke to French outlets about the filming process for Episode IX, specifically the lightsaber battle that's been shown in the trailer and poster. And it turns out it took days in the rain to get that sequence together.

Anthony Daniels was on set when Rey and Kylo Ren clashed lightsabers again, and it sounds truly grueling. The highly anticipated duel took a whopping six days to film, with Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver enduring some harsh weather as they went through the motions of their fight choreography. The teaser for The Rise of Skywalker shows them fighting on a planet with water, with wave after wave crashing into the Force sensitive character. And those waves were real. What's more, the filming occurred in November, so the pair of actors were apparently freezing as they filmed the Episode IX battle.

Anthony Daniels' comments (via Star Wars News Net) peel back the curtain behind production on major film releases like Star Wars. While each movie is expertly crafted and visually exciting, the reality of filming is far less glamorous. Long hours are standard, and sometimes cast and crew are forced to deal with the elements. That seems to be the case with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, although the first glimpse at that lightsaber duel looks thrilling.

Related: See How Rey Repaired Luke’s Lightsaber For The Rise Of Skywalker

It should be interesting to see exactly how Rey and Kylo Ren's lightsaber duel goes down, and how their relationship changes throughout the course of J.J. Abrams' upcoming blockbuster. Their dynamic has been teased as a major thread of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, building on the events of Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi. Episode VII gave the two characters a psychic connection, and it seemed like Rey might succeed in bringing him back to the Light Side. But Ben Solo ultimately became the Supreme Leader of the First Order, while Rey re-joined The Resistance.

Fans will be able to see for themselves when Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20th, including C-3PO's final bow. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies, and you can catch up with 3PO's story by reading the Star Wars comics.

After the D23 Expo dropped some new footage of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, everybody was talking at those last few seconds, which appeared to show Rey having gone full Sith, complete with a new, red, lightsaber. However, after they were done with that, the next question everybody had about the new footage was "what exactly is up with C-3PO's eyes?"

The new footage gave us a single shot of the droid, one of the few characters to appear in all Star Wars movies. However, rather than his traditional look, we see the droid with red eyes. Fans were, of course, curious what this could mean. Will 3PO be reprogrammed? Has he somehow gone evil? What exactly is going on?

While Anthony Daniels, the actor behind the droid, certainly isn't giving any details, he did recently tell The Star Wars Show that, while the reason for it all took him by surprise as well, the storytelling reason for it is "magnificent." According to Daniels...

While C-3PO and R2-D2 were key parts of the cast in the first two Star Wars trilogies, the pair have been largely ignored in the first two entries of the new one. While 3PO and R2 have always been present, they've never been important in the way they were previously. It looks like that might be changing, at least a little, with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Whatever is going on with the red eyes feels like it's something that matters, even if its only in a small way.

Because C-3PO hasn't been a major part of the story in the last two films, really anything that happens to him in The Rise of Skywalker is going to be a surprise. Nobody was likely expecting a great deal from the character in the new movie until we saw this shot and began to think that something of interest might actually be happening here.

What it means could be any number of things. Perhaps C-3PO gets hacked or has to plug himself into a computer and gets more than he bargained for. Could that computer be on the wreck of the Death Star that we believe will play a part in the story? Maybe this isn't even C-3PO in this scene, but simply another protocol droid of the same design, who will also be portrayed by Anthony Daniels.

These ideas are completely conjecture. There is little information about what The Rise of Skywalker will actually be about, and as such, it's hard to theorize in any real way. Literally anything could be possible.

The good news is that, whatever the answer is, it's apparently "magnificent" and that's certainly good news. We'll find out for sure when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters December 20.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is promising a pretty spectacular finale to the era of storytelling known as the Skywalker Saga. An instrumental part of that timeframe has been the iconic protocol droid/busybody C3PO, played by actor Anthony Daniels. So naturally, on the final day of filming director J.J. Abrams’ grand finale, there was bound to be tears.

During the D23 Expo, Anthony Daniels spoke with reporters on the press line about his last moments on set, and in his accounting it sounds like it was a perfect, yet bittersweet ending. In fact, the actor admitted he teared up a bit.

A fixture of the series since its inception in 1977, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker also looks like it could be the final installment for our golden friend. During his interview with Variety, Anthony Daniels said that the ninth episode in the saga proper feels like it truly rounds off the story, and as far as the films go, C3PO has served his purpose.

Obviously, with such a monumental moment on set, and with Daniels’ getting such praise from J.J. Abrams on set, it’s obvious that tears were going to be shed. Even through the difficult process of being cooped up in his robotic suit, Anthony Daniels has been a vital part of the Star Wars family over the decades.

At the same time, having to be in the confines of that costume must not be getting any easier, and eventually a character so physically demanding would need to either find another performer or bow out of the Star Wars franchise gracefully. Luckily, Daniels has made it to the end of his character’s run and can retire from his gold plated days on set with a smile.

Though what we’ve seen from the trailers of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, it looks like Threepio’s last ride isn’t going to be an easy or safe one. Between being caught in the crossfire with Poe and Finn on a speeding desert chase, and a new situation where his eyes are so red you could practically see murder in them, there’s no guarantee that he’ll make it out of the Skywalker Saga in one piece.

As Star Wars puts the final pieces into the story of the Skywalker family’s saga, there’s likely going to be a lot of tearful goodbyes that will come during those final hours onscreen. There might be enough that we’ll have to rank those scenarios in a list of most to least heartbreaking. And you can be sure that a C3PO departure would be pretty high up on that list, as saying goodbye to an old friend is always a major occasion.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker heads to theaters to complete the Skywalker Saga on December 20th.

The public still has to wait another nine months for Star Wars: Episode IX, but for the movie’s cast and crew, the journey is over. Episode IX’s principal photography concluded last month, and for most, if not all of these actors, this could their final on-screen appearance in the Star Wars universe given that this movie is the final installment of the Skywalker saga. Unfortunately for Oscar Isaac, his last day of shooting Episode IX was the same as Anthony Daniels’, meaning that Poe Dameron’s thunder was stolen by C-3PO. Isaac recalled:

Look, Oscar Isaac is one of the main actors in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and there’s no question that Poe Dameron has gained a lot of fans over the last several years. But looking at the entire Star Wars franchise, Anthony Daniels is definitely the heavier hitter. He’s been playing C-3PO since the beginning, with the golden protocol droid being present for many of the galaxy far, far away’s biggest events over the last century. So while Isaac may be the more famous actor, when looking through a Star Wars lens, I can’t say I’m surprised that Daniels got more attention on that last day of filming for the two performers.

Nevertheless, Oscar Isaac didn’t have any hard feelings about this, acknowledging during his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that Anthony Daniels has been part of the franchise since A New Hope and that George Lucas originally envisioned the Star Wars saga as a story about C-3PO and his partner, R2-D2. Isaac continued:

The Star Wars franchise is keeping its big screen run going in the coming years with Rian Johnson’s trilogy and the trilogy from Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, but Episode IX truly marks the end of an era. In Anthony Daniels’ case, it sounds like this could be the final time he ever plays C-3PO, although he probably felt the same way when the original and prequel Star Wars trilogies concluded too, so there’s always the possibility he might don the gold suit again.

For now, Daniels is the only actor to appear in every Star Wars movie, because along with playing C-3PO in most of them, he also appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story as a freed slave on Kessel. Daniels has also voiced C-3PO on Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, and even in projects set outside of this strange galaxy like The LEGO Movie and Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters on December 20, so stay tuned for CinemaBlend for more coverage. In the meantime, look through our 2019 release schedule to learn what other movies are coming out later this year.

Star Wars: Episode IX is not yet fully operational. No trailer. No title (unless this one is true). We just have a release date of December 20, and we know that certain actors have recently finished filming their roles -- for now and potentially forever.

One of those actors is Anthony Daniels, who has played C-3PO across the Skywalker Saga since Episode IV came out in 1977. He shared a beautiful post after wrapping his role in Episode IX ... and then proceeded to tease fans with an announcement of some kind.

Fans immediately thought/hoped the Star Wars actor might be teasing the Episode IX trailer, or at least the title.

But then Anthony Daniels followed up with this even more cryptic tweet:

So ... not a trailer or title, not an X -- meaning not for Star Wars: Episode IX or...? And who is the one who was looking the right way? It made little sense to fans, and this follow-up didn't help much:

Huh? Fans were confused and -- in some cases -- irritated. Others really read into that T-R-A-V tease.

Some thought it might just be a longwinded way for the actor to say he'd be traveling to Star Wars Celebration 2019, which is being held April 11-15 in Chicago. That is the current major guess for when fans will get things like the first official trailer.

Others had more fun with the tease:

And another try:

There's also this fantastic exchange someone had after joking that T-R-A-V might be Travelocity:

That Kleo fan replied to Travelocity's Ernest by thanking him for reaching out and politely asking if he could reveal the title of Star Wars: Episode IX. "Thanks in advance!" Classic.

But this one might actually be my favorite:

If indeed it turns out that Anthony Daniels was just teasing his trip to Chicago for Star Wars Celebration ... well, good for him for keeping fans occupied with speculation in the meantime. Mark Hamill has been trying to do the same thing, in his own way.

The Star Wars fandom didn't get a trailer during Super Bowl, and the fans who do want more information will take just about anything. Some fans don't think Star Wars: Episode IX needs a big trailer to promote the film. And other (former?) fans are so frustrated with the Stars Wars galaxy at this point that they only care enough to complain about it.

Eventually, Star Wars: Episode IX will reveal its full title -- following The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, in this trilogy -- and the movie will open in theaters on December 20. Here's what else is scheduled to play in theaters in 2019.

For over four decades, Anthony Daniels has been present for every Star Wars movie, usually as C-3PO (although that wasn’t the case for Solo: A Star Wars Story). So naturally it was expected that he would also be around for Episode IX later this year, and sure enough, Daniels will reprise the trusty and oblivious protocol droid skilled in over six million forms of communication for the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga. Or rather, he did, as Daniels is done filming his portions of Episode IX, commemorating the momentous occasion with the following:

The droid built for human-cyborg relations has finished his time on Star Wars: Episode IX (principal photography began last August), and as Anthony Daniels told his Twitter followers, it’s a bittersweet occasion. Still, clearly Daniels had a delightful time participating in the latest Star Wars movie and is looking forward to the masses seeing the final product come this December. Needless to say that it would have been weird if Daniels had not present for Episode IX considering how important C-3PO has been to the Star Wars franchise in its long history.

The last time we saw C-3PO on the big screen was in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, where he was among the few members of The Resistance who managed to escape being slaughtered by The First Order. Other than offering his usual brand of “helpful” commentary and chatting with R2-D2 and/or BB-8, it’s hard to say what’s in store for C-3PO in Episode IX, although I’m hoping we don’t see anything as brutal as seeing the goldenrod droid destroyed without any hope of being pieced back together. That could be too dark, which is saying something considering what we’ve seen in the Star Wars movies.

As for if Anthony Daniels will appear in future live action Star Wars projects, that’s hard to say. Although Rian Johnson’s trilogy and the David Benioff and D.B Weiss film series are both in development, not only do we not know when either of these respective spinoff sets of movies will be released, it also hasn’t been revealed when any of these movies will be set. There’s also The Mandalorian TV series for Disney+, although since that’s set between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, then it’s plausible that C-3PO could appear in that, even if just for an episode. Or, just like how Anthony Daniels played a slave on Kessel during Solo: A Star Wars Story, he could be brought in to play a different character in one of these projects.

Star Wars: Episode IX opens in theaters on December 20, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. Be sure to also look through our 2019 release schedule to find out what other movies are coming out this year.

Warning: minor SPOILERS for Solo: A Star Wars Story are ahead!

There's been one constant in all of the Star Wars movies: Anthony Daniels' presence. Until now, Daniels has appeared in all the theatrical tales set in a galaxy far, far away as C-3PO, but we recently learned that for Solo: A Star Wars Story, he won't be reprising the fussy, golden protocol droid. Instead, Daniels will play a brand-new character, and it was originally believed that this was one of Chewbacca's Wookiee allies. However, apparently there was a miscommunication, and Solo co-writer Jonathan Kasdan has clarified that rather than getting his Wookiee on, Daniels is actually playing a human character who has screen time with Chewbacca and this other Wookiee. Kasdan explained:

So there you have it. Anthony Daniels is appearing in Solo: A Star Wars Story not as C-3PO or Sagwa the Wookiee, but a human named Tak who is enslaved alongside the Wookiees in the Kessell mines. While it sounds at first like this scene between Chewbacca, Sagwa and Tak might take place before Chewie has met Han, Kasdan also passed along a script excerpt that reveals that L3-37 is in the scene, suggesting that whatever is going on here happens after Chewie has established a rapport with the eponymous protagonist. In any case, this actually won't be the first time that Daniels has played a character other than C-3PO in a Star Wars movie, as he also briefly popped up in 2002's Attack of the Clones as Dannl Faytoni, a patron at the club on Coruscant where Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi cornered assassin Zam Wesell.

In addition to updating Uproxx on Anthony Daniels' character situation in Solo: A Star Wars Story, Jonathan Kasdan also revealed why he and his fellow writer/father Lawrence Kasdan decided to name him Tak, saying:

Besides being the cinematographer on popular movies like Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Silence of the Lambs and The Sixth Sense, Tak Fujimoto also worked on the second unit photography team for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, so it's cool that his name now gets to be a part of Star Wars lore. Solo: A Star Wars Story is notable for being the first Star Wars movie not to include C-3PO (or his trusty companion R2-D2), but it's still great that the prequel adventure found a way to include him, even if there was initially a mixup regarding who he's playing.

Solo: A Star Wars Story will be released in theaters on May 25. You can read CinemaBlend's review of the movie now, and if you're interested in what else is hitting the silver screen later this year, check out our 2018 premiere guide.

The following contains spoilers for Solo: A Star Wars Story. If you don't want to know anything you don't want to read this until you've seen the film.

Anthony Daniels has been a part of every Star Wars to date and that streak won't end with Solo: A Star Wars Story. However, if you wondering how in the world the filmmakers are going to crowbar in a random appearance by C-3PO into the prequel story of a character that had never met them before Star Wars: A New Hope, the good news is, they won't. Instead, Anthony Daniels will appear in the film in an entirely different role. He still won't get to show his face, however, as he'll be appearing in a Wookiee suit. According to screenwriter Jonathan Kasdan...

Solo: A Star Wars Story recently had its world premiere and so, while the vast majority of us have yet to see the newest Star Wars film, some have. Those people might have kept an eye out for everybody's favorite golden droid, as it had recently been reported that Anthony Daniels would be appearing in the film, but when C-3PO was nowhere to be found, Uproxx asked screenwriter Jonathan Kasdan about Daniels' appearance.

This works out well, because it keeps Anthony Daniels' streak of appearances in Star Wars movies intact, making him the franchise ironman, but doesn't require the movie to tack on a C-3PO appearance that honestly wouldn't make a lot of sense. It seems pretty clear in Star Wars: A New Hope that Han Solo has never met C-3PO or R2-D2 before, so having them have a run-in during Solo: A Star Wars Story would seem odd. Even throwing them into the corner of a scene where they don't actually interact with anybody, as was done in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, would be awkward. At least in Rogue One, there was something of an understanding why the droids would be where they were without having to actually explain anything. That would be trickier to pull off in Solo since we're dealing with a story that exists, at least mostly, outside of the general "Imperial vs. Rebel" struggle of the other movies.

Keep your eyes open for the additional Wookiee's that we'll see in Solo: A Star Wars Story, because one of them is actually Anthony Daniels. Solo arrives in theaters May 25.

Many have said that one of the best parts of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was the vocal turn of Alan Tudyk as the droid K-2SO. Even the previous Star Wars celebrity droid has something to say about the performance, but it isn't necessarily that nice. Alan Tudyk says that he and Daniels spoke a bit about Daniels' experience playing C-3PO vs. Tudyk's motion-capture experience. After seeing the film, at the afterparty for the premiere of Rogue One Anthony Daniels came up to him and had two words to say to him...

Anthony Daniels has something of a reputation of having a bit of an attitude, but to hear Alan Tudyk tell it, on Conan, the man who plays C-3PO was being only complimentary when he dropped an F-bomb to his Star Wars castmate. It's only fair. The droids of Star Wars have always been some of the most memorable characters in the entire franchise. Daniels has been able to enjoy that fact for decades. However, now he has to share the stage with another character.

Another reason that Anthony Daniels is apparently incredibly jealous is that Alan Tudyk was able to do his performance with motion capture, meaning he didn't have to wear a robot costume, something Daniels always had to do, even in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

We were told before the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story that Alan Tudyk and K-2SO would steal the movie and that appears to be the case for many. The former Imperial droid has a very different attitude than any of the droids that we've seen in Star Wars films so far. It's a bit refreshing to see one that has an attitude. Especially considering that it's clear that Anthony Daniels could have played a character like that but has to do something else. He clearly has the temperament for it.

Sometimes there is no compliment better than "that was so good I sort of hate it a little." It's the way I feel about really good writing. For Alan Tudyk, it appears to be about the highest compliment he thinks he could have received from the man who will go down in movie history thanks to his iconic role as C-3PO. Certainly, Tudyk would love for his character to be as fondly remembered by fans.

If you've seen Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, do you agree that K-2SO stole the movie from the rest of the team? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

As one of the few people who have been around for every chapter of the Star Wars saga to date, few actors are as well known for a single role as Anthony Daniels is for C-3PO. While he had played the part six times before, he likely knew things would be significantly different for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. As it turned out, there was one change for this new generation of films that the actor really wasn’t on board with. He didn’t like the red arm.

There was one single change to C-3PO that became instantly noticeable when fans first saw him in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. While the majority of his body was the gold cover that we all knew so well, one arm was not his own. Anthony Daniels told Screen Rant that the arm was the one thing that J.J. Abrams forced on him. However, Daniels doesn’t hold any hard feelings, since Abrams did eventually listen to the actor, and made a change at the end of the film.

Anthony Daniels doesn’t explain why it was that he didn’t care for the red arm. It’s very possible that the actor feels so attached to the character that he’s spent his life playing, that he simply didn’t like to see changes made. We’ve been able to get a little of the back story on the arm from some of the companion materials, and a new comic that deals with the whole thing will be coming out shortly. Ultimately, while the arm is never explained in the film, it’s a visual symbol that a lot of time has passed, and that the missing years have been tough for our Resistance friends. All of the human characters in Star Wars: The Force Awakens age, so you can tell that they are older, the arm does the same thing for the ageless droid.

For whatever reason that Anthony Daniels didn’t like the red arm, it’s great that the actor and director were able to work together and work through the issue. J.J. Abrams got his red arm throughout the film, which had the impact that was needed, and once that was done, Abrams switched the arm out, which made the actor happy. Daniels appears to be happy while he currently works on Star Wars: Episode VIII, which implies are of his limbs are remaining intact. 

If the lack of information regarding Star Wars: The Force Awakens has caused you any sort of distress, don’t fret; you are not alone. Anthony Daniels, the actor responsible for portraying timorous droid C-3PO in all seven Star Wars films has spoken out about the level of discretion associated with the film—referring to it as "ludicrous."

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor even went so far as to liken the Disney’s attitude towards withholding information to tactics employed the Russian government, stating:

Of course, "the box," has potential to become one of the highest grossing films of all time, so in the end, it makes at least a little sense that Disney would be eager to play things close to the vest. In the very same article from THR, Daniels revealed that when he received his copy of The Force Awakens’ script, J.J. Abrams had provided it to him in black ink printed on red paper so no one who got their hands on it would be able to photocopy and distribute it to the public. Daniels’ standard for what constitutes an important facet of the story, and what does not, obviously differs from that of the Disney executives, who appear unwilling to take any sort of chances.

Such high levels of caution make more sense when we remember that numerous other highly anticipated films have had equal measures of scrutiny on their productions, leading to outcry that too much information had leaked. Suicide Squad’s director David Ayer even had to take to Twitter to assure fans that they had not seen everything, and that the film’s secrets remained intact.

It’s a catch-22 for filmmakers, because fans want to know so much about a film before it comes out, but they damn any information that they receive that could inevitably compromise the movie’s integrity and lead to spoilers. Star Wars: The Force Awakens has become the model for how to withhold a film from the public eye, and generate questions among fans; with roughly three months until the film hits theaters for Christmas, we still know very little beyond what we can glean from the trailers and marketing materials. That doesn’t mean we won’t stop carefully dissecting every single thing we can get our hands on.

We will all get a chance to open the "Christmas present" that is Star Wars: The Force Awakens when it hits theaters on December 18.

Comparisons between J.J. Abrams and George Lucas were always going to appear at some point. Lucas’ most recent efforts overseeing Star Wars Episodes 1-3 were widely lambasted, and Abrams is seen as the great hope for rejuvenating the franchise. Anthony Daniels, who has played C-3PO since the very first Star Wars film, has now been explaining the differences between the filmmakers, insisting that Abrams is much more collaborative than Lucas.

Anthony Daniels made this admission during his chat with The Guardian, explaining that J.J. Abrams was more willing to listen to his ideas regarding C-3PO and then incorporate them into the film. Speaking about the differences between Lucas and Abrams, Daniels declared:

Some might say that’s tough-talk from Daniels, who, from the sound of things, much preferred working with Abrams to his time with the American Graffiti director. However, we must remember that George Lucas was the one who created these characters, and he clearly felt an ownership to them that meant he believed what he was doing with them was for the best.

This is one of the main reasons why it was the right time to replace George Lucas with a different director, as this has now enabled Star Wars to have a passionate, fresh set of eyes oversee it and take the film into new, original territories that Lucas probably never envisioned. But while he took Star Wars to these new pastures, J.J Abrams also made sure not to be disconnected from the franchise’s illustrious past. Daniels added that Abrams was "too respectful" to even suggest changing C-3PO’s character in any way shape or form.

This isn’t the first time that it’s been revealed that George Lucas wasn’t that big a fan of being a director. In fact, John Milius explained in the seminal 2003 documentary Easy Riders, Raging Bulls:

Anthony Daniels did attest that there was one issue that he and J.J. Abrams ended up having more heated discussions about. However, he refused to even tease what it was over.

We’ve now not got too much longer to wait to find out what Daniels and Abrams debated, as Star Wars: The Force Awakens is going to be the greatest early Christmas present that the world has ever received. Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be released on December 18, and we can expect it to have broken several box office records before the New Year.

Just like Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, actor Anthony Daniels is an incredibly important part of the Star Wars legacy. He's just slightly handicapped by the fact that you can't see his face under the C-3PO helmet. He and Kenny Baker, the man inside R2-D2, are the only actors to be part of every single film, so when Star Wars: Episode VII started to move into active development, it made perfect sense that they would return. The big question that was raised, however, was whether Daniels would once again be inside his C-3PO costume, as he always has been in the movies, or would instead be opting to use motion capture or simply provide his voice. According to the actor, it was never actually a choice.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Anthony Daniels opened up about the process that led to him being cast in Star Wars: Episode VII - and in doing so revealed the two qualifications regarding the presentation of C-3PO that he demanded of the project in exchange for his performance. Daniels told the story of a conversation he had with director J.J. Abrams in the early stages in which the subject of the actor's performance came up. The filmmaker asked him if he had any interest in doing C-3PO as just a voice, and he refused. Said Daniels, "There’s no way I would just do the voice."

But while Daniels was committing to once again wear the C-3PO costume, the other big request that he had was in regard to the design itself: he wanted it to change. While it sounds like none of the alterations have been made to the character aesthetically - meaning he will look just like the classic version - instead they were made to the interior of the suit and how it fit on the actor. He added,

Star Wars: Episode VII will feature all of the legacy actors mentioned above - plus Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca - in addition to newcomers John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Lupita Nyong'o, Crystal Clarke, Pip Anderson, Christina Chong, Gwendoline Christie and Max von Sydow. The movie is still in production, and it will probably still be a long time before we get to see any footage from the film (it's still 15 months fron release), at least we keep getting cool tidbits like this that keep are excitement at the highest level.

Did Anthony Daniels just open up J.J. Abrams’ infamous Mystery Box?

The original C-3PO appeared at the New York Comic Con recently to host a spotlight panel that he promised would NOT divulge any new Star Wars: Episode VII secrets. And he almost made it through the entire session without revealing what might be a spoiler. Or might not be. You have to be the judge.

Still, after being baited by an audience member about how important it is to be the only actor to appear in all six Star Wars movies and "maybe seven?" – the actor replied innocently:

The site FilmBuffOnline, which captured Daniels’ quotes, goes on to note that the actor very quickly pantomimed those "big ears" that might be listening to any and all Star Wars trivia bits that get out before Abrams declares it time.

Daniels, to his credit, has not been shy about talking to anyone who’ll listen about Star Wars past and present. At the recent Star Wars Celebration in Europe, the actor sat down with Warwick Davis for a segment of "Words With Warwick," where he went into detail about Return of the Jedi and the possible future of Star Wars.

Plus, he has been making the rounds at numerous fan events over the years:

Mentioning that C-3PO could be returning feeds into the notion we’ve heard all along that original-trilogy cast members would be a big part of Abrams’ new trilogy (even though the latest news says Harrison Ford hasn’t "quite made the choice" to reprise his Han Solo role for the sequel). One way Abrams could prevent leaks like this is just to SHARE ACTUAL INFORMATION with us about Episode VII -- which might be called Rise of the Jedi. Until that happens, we’ll chase speculation like this.