Fifteen years afterTwilightfirst hit theaters,Jackson Rathbonestill has a lot to say about Jasper Hale— and he’s not ready to let go of the character just yet. Speaking at FanExpo in Denver during a Collider-hosted panel moderated byMaggie Lovitt, the 40-year-old actor got reflective on Jasper’s past, revealing that he’d love to see aTwilightprequel that delves into the character’s trauma, his violent origins, and the redemptive arc that rarely got explored on screen.
“Jasper — actually has… there was a darkness in his past.He’s seen literal horror of war at 17 years old, and there’s a lot of darkness there. So what I’d love to explore is the idea of when he meets Alice, that she’s there to not only send him forward about what happened in life, but to remind him that he’s loved and that he actually is worth something.”
For Rathbone, who has spent time working in addiction recovery programs off-screen, Jasper’s arc hits close to home.
“In my personal life, I work on phones, and we get people through rehab and rehabilitate people. And when you allow someone to have a second chance, you can create a new human being. But if you don’t allow that second chance, you’re just putting it back to the ecosystem. You’re locking it down to life, and that’s banishment, and that’s inhumane, in my opinion.So I believe in second chances. I believe in third chances. I believe in redemption.”
He described Jasper as someone who is not just self-loathing in a moody, brooding Edward Cullen sort of way — but as someone battling genuine, internal demons.
“Each person who is really, really self-loathing — and not the pretty-boy self-loathing of Edward, but real self-loathing, born from war and violence — needs love, needs to be reminded that they are forgivable.”
What Is Jasper Hale’s Back Story?
InStephenie Meyer’soriginal saga, Jasper’s backstory is rooted in the Confederate army and a bloody post-war life as a vampire general creating and controlling newborn armies in the South. While some of this is touched upon inEclipse, Rathbone clearly believes there’s more story to mine. And in his eyes, that story — if told — shouldn’t be one of revenge, but one of healing.
“We see a lot of revenge films. I’d love to see something a little bit more heart… forgiveness is hard. Forgiveness takes work. But I think it’s worth it.”
So while a Jasper Hale prequel might not be onLionsgate’s calendar just yet, Rathbone’s pitch is ready. If it happens, it won’t just be another broody vampire drama. It’ll be about what happens when the monster believes he no longer has to be one. But still with sparkly skin.
Stay tuned for more coverage fromFAN EXPODenver.
