Image Source: Getty / John Paul Filo / CBS

After 45 years as one of the most iconic intergalactic villains of all time, James Earl Jones has announced that he will no longer voice Darth Vader in upcoming Star Wars projects, according to Vanity Fair. Jones has been the voice of the Dark Side for multiple generations of Star Wars fans, making it almost unfathomable to consider anyone else stepping into the Jedi's knee-high boots. But Lucasfilms has already developed a workaround for future projects that doesn't involve putting any other actors up to the task of filling the EGOT-winner's shoes.

For Jones, now 91, the decision to retire from his incomparable role stemmed from his voice altering with age and a general desire to see some closure with the unforgettable character. "He had mentioned he was looking into winding down this particular character," Matthew Wood, a supervising sound editor at Lucasfilm, told Vanity Fair.

POPSUGAR reached out to Lucasfilm and Jones's rep for comment but did not immediately hear back.

Jones has given the production company permission to use archival recordings to re-create his voice using AI software that will mimic the cadence and definitive bass of his speech. Using the proprietary AI algorithm from Ukrainian startup Respeecher, the company will be able to create new dialogue in Jones's voice for any forthcoming Darth Vader appearances in film, on TV, and more.

The company has already been tasked with creating dialogue in the actor's voice — a process that Jones was heavily involved in — for Disney+'s "Obi-Wan Kenobi" miniseries, starring Star Wars originals Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader's original identity. Considering that Vader is half-human, half-machine, it only makes sense that his voice should be kept alive using artificial intelligence.

by Chandler Plante 14 hours ago

by Victoria Edel 1 day ago

by Njera Perkins 1 day ago

by Eden Arielle Gordon 2 days ago

by Pallavi Bhadu 2 days ago

by Jenny Sugar 2 days ago

by Yerin Kim 2 days ago

by Victoria Edel 2 days ago

Get the Daily Inside Scoop

Select the topics that interest you:

By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from POPSUGAR.

Get the daily inside scoop right in your inbox.

Sign up for our Celebrity & Entertainment newsletter.

By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from POPSUGAR.

Please select the topics you're interested in:

Would you like to turn on POPSUGAR desktop notifications to get breaking news ASAP?

Great, Click the ‘Allow’ Button Above ☝️

Awesome, You’re All Set! 🎉