Obi-Wan Kenobi director Deborah Chow discussed the biggest hurdle in bringing the latest entry to the Star Wars franchise to life.
Speaking to Collider during a live screening of the Obi-Wan Kenobi finale, Chow appeared alongside series star Hayden Christensen for a Q&A session. When asked about the process of telling a new Star Wars story within a largely fixed timeline, Chow said, "That was by far the most challenging aspect of the series. You know, obviously we have these huge legacy characters that are between two trilogies. We wanted to be very respectful. That was the biggest challenge, but it was also kind of really exciting to tell your story with such iconic characters."
This sentiment echoes earlier statements Chow had made regarding the series. The director previously explained, "We're telling the second act of a story, which is often challenging enough. The biggest thing we were looking [to do] is to respect the canon and respect what's been done, but we also needed to have an original story and have an original vision for it."
Obi-Wan Kenobi follows the titular Jedi's time in exile following the Galactic Empire's rise to power. The series also gives fans a glimpse into the early lives of Luke and Leia Skywalker, set against Obi-Wan's efforts to safeguard them from the threat of the Empire's Inquisitors. These menacing, Force-sensitive assassins led by Rupert Friend's Grand Inquisitor have been tasked with hunting down any and all Jedi who managed to escape Order 66.
The series also marks Christensen's return to the role of Darth Vader for the first time since 2005's Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. The actor has already made his hopes to continue reprising his part as the iconic Sith Lord, saying, "I think this is a character that sort of resonates within our culture in a very profound way and there's certainly more there to explore, you know? There are so many other stories that have been told in these other mediums and I would love to get to continue my journey with [Darth Vader]."
Despite the hopes of members of the cast and crew, Chow has stated that Obi-Wan Kenobi hasn't deliberately set up any future seasons or spinoffs, saying, "We really did conceive this like a beginning, middle, and end. It is one big story, and it was always meant to be." She added, "But, if another series were to happen, it would be the same process of making sure that there was a real story to tell. Ours is obviously very connected to the prequels, but I love the idea that there can be more stories that are all over the timeline."
Obi-Wan Kenobi is streaming now on Disney+.
Source: Collider