The Star Wars franchise is the birthplace of some of cinema's most popular characters. Everyone can quote at least one line from Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker. Obi-Wan Kenobi has become arguably more popular than all the rest, thanks to his established importance in the franchise's overarching story and revitalization of the character through the prequels. Obi-Wan's popularity has been solidified now that there's word the character may get his very own film in the Star Wars anthology film series, or, at the very least, make an appearance in Star Wars Episode IX. It's something fans have been expecting since at least 2012, when Disney purchased the rights to the franchise.

Among the plethora of rumors concerning an Obi-Wan standalone film, it was recently floated that such a film is actually being developed for Disney's streaming service, which will debut in 2019. That rumor follows an announcement made by unidentified sources representing Lucasfilm, stating that early reports of Disney halting plans for future standalone films were inaccurate. Assuming that most, if not all these rumors have a grain of truth, it appears that Disney is perhaps not as confident now about a solo Obi-Wan film as the fans -- if they ever were. So, just how seriously are studio executives taking the development of this standalone film?

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To answer that, we have to look at the money, which is what any industry tends to listen to above everything else. In this context, all this may come as little surprise considering the recent failure of Solo: A Star Wars Story. The film reportedly cost approximately $300 million dollars to make and since its release one month ago, it has failed to break even, grossing just a little over $350 million dollars at the box office worldwide. Even though one could easily make the argument that there were other factors contributing to the film's poor performance -- poor timing and marketing being chief among them -- the numbers remain understandably discouraging.

For fans, the performance of Solo is not at all relevant when discussing the potential of an Obi-Wan film since, unlike the former, there seems to be an immense demand. And it's clear why. Obi-Wan (played by Alec Guiness), like the rest of the principal characters of the original trilogy, is incredibly popular. He featured the only lightsaber duel in A New Hope (directed by George Lucas) and is incredibly quotable. Then the prequel trilogy happened and Ewan McGregor, with his masterful performance, was able to breathe new life into the character, earning praise from fans. It's easy enough in the age of the Internet to find proof of his popularity in the sheer number of memes alone.

But just in case you're looking for something a little more substantial, you could also take a look at the number of times Ewan McGregor has been asked about a return to the role in interviews over the years, because that's something fans all over want to know: Will we ever see Ewan McGregor return as Obi-Wan? No one can say for certain, however, McGregor himself has always been incredibly transparent in his enthusiasm and willingness to play Obi-Wan again should the opportunity arise.

The actor's willingness is a great thing to see for fans, especially when there's to be a film built around his character. However, the actor alone -- however great -- is not enough to make an Obi-Wan film worthwhile. It takes care and commitment from studios and creative minds, which is difficult to gauge when it come to any film in the franchise that isn't a part of the main saga. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (directed by Gareth Edwards) was an undeniably brilliant start for the Star Wars anthology series. It was properly marketed and was praised for its ability to build compelling characters and a thrilling plot around a relatively minor detail from A New Hope.

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Solo: A Star Wars Story (directed by Ron Howard) built on an important and beloved character by offering audiences the origin story of Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich). The claim that the film added depth to the character is debatable. Despite the issues during development, it was relatively well executed. What's undeniable is that overall, the film had nothing of substance to add to the greater story. Everyone knows how it ends for Han and nothing he did in that film had any visible consequences, which makes the film feel as though it's the result of corporate obstinacy in regards to yearly Star Wars releases more than anything else, even if that wasn't necessarily the case.

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At this point, it's easy enough to imagine that an Obi-Wan film could accomplish what Rogue One managed to do with its plot and what the Solo film could have done with its characters, so long as the film is set in the right point in Kenobi's life.

An origin story is a huge risk and an unnecessary one, considering that there are several other points in Obi-Wan's life that may prove interesting: His time during the Clone Wars as a general known as The Negotiator or his life on Tatooine protecting young Luke Skywalker whilst fighting the forces of Jabba the Hutt. The former reveals the origin of the name, Ben Kenobi, while the latter has the potential to open up different avenues for interconnectivity between the other films in the franchise. According to rumors, that's the direction in which the studio is planning to go.

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In current canon, Obi-Wan's exile is filled with smaller adventures against the Hutts, Tusken raiders and just one face-off against an old rival. The issue here is that a lot of that has been thoroughly explored through comics and animated television shows. One option would be to adapt elements from the old canon, such as Obi-Wan's struggle against Boba Fett and his adventures alongside Ferus Olin with the help of an old master.

Exploring Kenobi's life during his exile and adapting elements from "Star Wars Legends" would also allow the film franchise to answer questions concerning Obi-Wan's communion with Qui-Gon, which is something Kenobi learned how to achieve from Yoda, as implied in Revenge of the Sith (directed by George Lucas). It could also potentially explore his estrangement from Luke's aunt and uncle and satisfy the demand for a reappearance from Boba Fett.

Clearly, there's a lot to work with. There's a great story somewhere in there. Ewan McGregor -- who would, without a doubt, nail the role again -- is willing to reprise the role and there's a clear demand for it. The only thing this potential film is missing is the confidence of the studios required to fund and develop the concept into a well executed film. What that means is that it may not get as much attention and, therefore, not as much funding as it may require, which in turn means less freedom for creative minds to really work their magic.

With this being a film in a multi-billion dollar franchise, you'd think the likelihood of that happening would be low. But remember, if the rumors are true, then this film may be developed for a streaming service, which does not bode well at all for its budgetary needs. Fans have loved this character for decades and Obi-Wan deserves a cinematic masterpiece of his own. If fans can't get that, it may be better for the character if that standalone film remains a dream.