The Force Unleashed Star Would Shave Head to Return as Starkiller

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed star Sam Witwer says he would be “very happy” to shave his head if Lucasfilm were to ever ask him to return as Starkiller.

The actor, who is also known for portraying many versions of Darth Maul in the galaxy far, far away, touched on his interest in returning as the powerful Force user during an interview with Polygon. Not only does he say he’d love to spend more time wielding his lightsaber, but he’d be up for the hairstyle change that would come with it, too.

“I would shave my head in an instant. Very happy to do so,” Witwer said. “I love that character, and he’s really the reason I’m here.”

Starkiller, whose real name is Galen Marek, first appeared in The Force Unleashed for the Wii, DS, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in 2008 and is known as the secret apprentice of Darth Vader. Originally born under the wing of the Jedi order, he’s eventually taken by the infamous Sith Lord and trained to be a powerful tool for the Empire.

Following the first release and its 2010 sequel, Starkiller falls into the “Legends” category of Star Wars. It means that, although the character, as well as other The Force Unleashed characters like Juno Eclipse and Proxy, isn’t currently considered canon, a reintroduction isn’t exactly off the table.

Witwer is a well-known Star Wars fan who has also gone on to voice Emperor Palpatine and other minor characters across the series’ wide universe. Aside from Starkiller, most fans will probably recognize him as the voice of Darth Maul in a variety of spinoffs, including Solo: A Star Wars Story and the recently released Maul – Shadow Lord. However, it’s his role in The Force Unleashed that kicked off his Star Wars journey, and it’s the part he may be most interested in returning to.

In the past, Witwer has teased that his beloved secret apprentice nearly appeared in the animated Rebels spinoff show, though plans for his surprise return ultimately never materialized. For now, Disney has shown no sign of official plans to bring Starkiller back in a video game or even a live-action project. While we wait to see if the star may reprise his role as the character that started his Star Wars journey, you can read our original 7.3/10 The Force Unleashed review.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).