With the launch of Disney+ occurring almost 2 years ago, a slew of new storytelling opportunities came with it. Disney now had a platform for all their own original content and they took full advantage of it. The studio started developing multiple live-action projects for all of their big IPs and fans have been particularly excited for their Star Wars shows.
With the smashing success of The Mandalorian, fans were over the moon when it was announced that an Obi-Wan Kenobi series was in development. This is a series fans have wanted for a long time and are eagerly waiting for its release.
7 Ewan McGregor Will Be Reprising His Role As Obi-Wan
Part of the reason fans are so excited for this show is the fact that Ewan McGregor will be back to reprise his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi. McGregor played the famous Jedi all throughout the prequel movies and fans adored his portrayal. While for many years those movies have been a point of controversy for fans, McGregor's performance as Obi-Wan has always been praised and loved by the Star Wars community.
It has been over 15 years since McGregor has donned the Jedi robes and fans are eager to see what he will be able to bring the role this time around.
6 The Series Takes Place Between Episode III And Episode IV
Even with 9 movies, there is still a ton of explored time in the Star Wars universe. The most popular time period is between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. This gap is roughly 20 years and focuses on the rise of the Empire. This is where the Kenobi show will take place. It will presumably focus on what happened to this legendary Jedi after the great purge and how he is coping with his loss, trauma, and new role as protector over Luke Skywalker.
If this is the path they take it will be an interesting character study in this well-known fictional icon.
5 Darth Vader Is Making A Comeback
Something that has a lot of people excited is the return of Hayden Christensen in the role of Darth Vader. This will be the first appearance of Christensen in a Star Wars project since Revenge of the Sith. While Christensen faced a lot of backlash from his performance as Anakin Skywalker, fans have recently started to show him a lot of love, especially after his appearance at a recent Star Wars Celebration.
It will certainly be interesting to see how Christensen takes on the powerful Sith lord versus his approach to Anakin Skywalker. Christensen and McGregor will be joined by Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, and Benny Safdie.
4 When Will This Release?
Obi-Wan Kenobi will be premiering on Disney+ on May 25th, 2022. This was announced by Disney on February 9th and was accompanied by the release of the first official poster for the show. This premiere date will coincide with the 45th anniversary of A New Hope.
Hopefully, Disney will provide viewers with a trailer sooner rather than later. Until then, fans will continue to create theories and guesses for what surprises the show may have in store.
3 Will Young Luke Skywalker Appear?
While there is no news specifically about a child Luke Skywalker appearing, it isn't out of the question. Luke would be about 9 or 10 at the time of Obi-Wan, so viewers might get to see a glimpse of him as a child. Further evidence of this is the casting of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse have both be set to reprise their role. Audiences are curious if the show will explore the rising tension between Obi-Wan and Uncle Owen. Said tension is evident in A New Hope and must have built up over Luke's life.
2 The Cast Is A Combination of New And Established Actors
Obi-Wan Kenobi's cast is a big one. The acting talent brought on board is significant, featuring a combination of popular and relatively unknown actors. Some of the well-known ones are Kumail Nanjiani, who recently starred in Marvel's Eternals. The series also features Game of Thrones alum Indira Varma and Fast and Furious franchise star Sun Kang. While fans are excited to see what these well-known actors bring to the table, they are also eager to see the performances that the newcomers churn out for the show.
1 How Many Episodes Will Obi-Wan Kenobi Be?
As of right now, Obi-Wan Kenobi is going to be a six episode mini-series. While Obi-Wan's story is fascinating, it doesn't require a multi-season show to tell. By sticking to a 6 episode mini-series, the show be a focused and standalone story that hopefully delivers a satisfying conclusion by the last episode. Fans are hoping that Obi-Wan's episodes will be a decent length so they can get as much time as possible with the powerful Jedi.