Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order star Liam McIntyre talks Taron Malicos’ fate, casting process & more

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order star Liam McIntyre reflects on what it was like starring in the popular franchise, if he might ever come back as Taron Malicos, and whether or not he plans to play the sequel Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. 

The Star Wars franchise is back and better than ever. With multiple new TV shows in the works as well as more and more games being created, fans of the longstanding series have never been more spoilt. Back in 2019, developer EA released Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. A video game that has now gone on to become one of the best-selling Star Wars titles of all time.

Australian actor Liam McIntyre, best known for playing the titular character in the Spartacus TV series, has been delving into the world of video game voice acting and motion capture. As well as voicing JD Fenix in the past two Gears of War games, McIntyre is likely best known in the gaming world for playing Taron Malicos in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

During an exclusive interview with Dexerto at Supanova Melbourne, McIntyre revealed that he wasn’t initially aware he was even starring in a Star Wars video game. Adding that he only discovered he had landed a role in the hugely popular series the day he arrived on set.

Liam McIntyre didn’t even know he had been cast in a Star Wars game

“So I didn’t know it was a Star Wars game until the day I turned up on set. I was an old man with a cane and the cane happened to be a lightsaber,” McIntyre recalled. “You’re in Star Wars and you’re a Jedi,” they told him on day one.

The actor only had good things to say about his experience and that, as a long-time fan of the IP, he was proud to be a part of Fallen Order, a title many now consider to be a return to form for Star Wars games.

“It was incredible and you just never know. I’ve loved Star Wars games since LucasArts back in the day, X-Wing and TIE-fighter were my jam and then you know, there were a couple of mixed-bag ones…and you’re like, what are they gonna do with this one and it’s so friggin’ good.”

Part of what makes the Jedi games such a hit is their compelling lead, with McIntrye calling Cal Kestis actor Cameron Monaghan “a good leading man.”

Will Liam McIntyre return for a live-action Fallen Order adaption?

When Dexerto then asked McIntrye if he had heard any rumblings of a Fallen Order TV series or other crossover media-type projects, the actor was quick to say no. However, he did reveal that, while Taron Malicos is seemingly vanquished near the end of Fallen Order, there happens to be some unused footage from the recording process. Footage that if ever brought to life, could spell a different fate for the character.

“Not to me. I don’t know,” he said on a possible spinoff. “I know in the first one we threw around the idea of him surviving in certain ways and I don’t know canonically where they’ve fallen on that, on the stuff that we filmed that didn’t make it into the game. Which is fine and I know why and I know where it was supposed to go and I know why you wouldn’t put it in the game.

I don’t know whether that was an artistic decision or just a time thing. I always wanted to be a Jedi, even a fallen Jedi. Either way, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. The child in me was just going bananas.”

And when speaking on if he is excited about Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the actor simply admitted that he is looking forward to the title and does want to play it. However, he is a bit behind with his video games. “I am still playing The Last of Us Part II,” he said with a laugh.