Anthony Daniels is returning to the Star Wars universe in a new adventure. The actor will voice C-3PO in an animated Super Bowl special coming to Disney+ in February 2027.
Titled Star Wars Funday Football, this project brings the franchise into the world of the NFL. ESPN, Lucasfilm, Disney, and the NFL announced the special on October 19, confirming its release date and broadcast platforms.
The animated presentation will premiere on Sunday, February 14, 2027, alongside Super Bowl LXI, which will take place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Fans can watch the special on Disney+ and the ESPN App, with additional broadcasts on Disney Channel and Disney XD.
Star Wars Celebrates 50 Years With a Return to Its 1977 Roots
Anthony Daniels first played C-3PO in the original 1977 Star Wars film and will now voice the droid again. His return comes as Lucasfilm prepares to celebrate the franchise’s 50th anniversary in 2027. A newly restored version of the original film will return to theaters on February 19, just five days after the Super Bowl. The release gives fans another chance to revisit the movie that launched the franchise.
Unlike a standard football broadcast, Star Wars Funday Football will recreate every play through real-time animation. NFL players will appear as animated avatars, while characters from the Star Wars universe join the action at key moments. The presentation will also include Easter eggs for fans to spot throughout the game. This approach brings the animated world into the live sporting event rather than showing the usual on-field footage.
ESPN will use technology from Sony’s Beyond Sports to animate the game as it unfolds. The system combines player-tracking data from NFL Next Gen Stats with Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations optical tracking. This technology helps the animated presentation reflect the action on the field in real time. More details about the characters, visual settings, and commentators will be announced closer to the event.
The special marks the first fully animated, real-time alternate presentation of a Super Bowl. It also follows earlier Funday Football broadcasts featuring Toy Story, The Simpsons, and Monsters. The international rollout will include live viewing in selected markets, while on-demand access will vary by region.