The Obi-Wan Kenobi series is arguably the most anticipated Star Wars project since The Force Awakens, and may claim that title for a very long time. After 17 years, Ewan McGregor will once again don the robes of the iconic Jedi Master, embarking on a journey during his exile following Revenge of the Sith. Fans spent years pushing for a new story about the crazy old hermit, and the time has nearly come for that dream to become a reality.
Joining McGregor will be Hayden Christensen, who will reprise his role of Darth Vader. Plot details have been scarce, but official concept art depicts a duel between the former teacher and student that Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy has described as "the rematch of the century". Also in the mix will be the Inquisitors, whose defeat at the hands of Kenobi will presumably encourage Vader to confront his old master and seek out revenge.
Much has been made about the release window for the series, which is currently only classified in an official capacity as Spring 2022. Rumors have long suggested that the show will be dropping in May, with Star Wars Day being the perfect fit for a premiere. Evidence has been mounting that May will indeed be the case, and a slip of the thumb by a Disney+ executive further solidifies things.
Disney+ Exec Shares May 2022 Release For Kenobi
In a now-deleted tweet, Disney+ Enterprise/Global Program Manager Brandon SanGiovanni accidentally revealed that Obi-Wan Kenobi will hit the streaming platform in May 2022.
SanGiovanni has since walked back the post, claiming he was referring to the newly announced Marvel Comic Star Wars: Obi-Wan - also releasing in May. After deleting the initial tweet, SanGiovanni said "This is a comic, to be clear. Mixed two tweets and will now shame myself eternally," followed by a cheeky "Surprise!" when the comic itself was officially announced.
Update: The Hollywood Reporter has corroborated that Obi-Wan Kenobi is, in fact, due to premiere in May, although the outlet didn't share a specific date.
Obi-Wan Kenobi Landing in May
The deleted tweet is the strongest indicator yet that Obi-Wan Kenobi will be debuting in May, as the wording is pretty clear. Both subsequent tweets regarding the Obi-Wan comic are undoubtedly a classic case of covering ass, an attempt to hide the mistake made here by jumping the gun on an official announcement.
SanGiovanni has a significant position with Disney+, tasked with overseeing feature development, content, artwork, and metadata planning for Originals on the platform. That mouthful is all to say that the executive would certainly know when Obi-Wan Kenobi is releasing, as he's likely had a hand in its development and production. Given that he isn't a Lucasfilm employee, there's little reason to believe SanGiovanni was actually referring to a tie-in comic... and it's a comic, which wouldn't drop on Disney+.
There's little harm done on SanGiovanni's part, as Star Wars fans have already put together that Obi-Wan Kenobi's most viable option for a release window would be May. The Del Rey novel Brotherhood, starring Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker, is scheduled for publication on May 10, and the newly announced Marvel miniseries Obi-Wan will also be releasing its first issue that month. With multiple tie-ins coming in May, there's little chance this a coincidence.
The next question is when Disney and Lucasfilm will make the official announcement, and whether or not a trailer could accompany it. It's reasonable to assume that The Book of Boba Fett will finish its run next week before any word on Kenobi is shared, and that provides the companies a big marketing opportunity. With the Super Bowl scheduled for next Sunday, a TV spot for the Jedi Master's series could very well be in the cards, and a massive audience is guaranteed.
Only time will tell, but all indicators point to Obi-Wan Kenobi debuting in May 2022 on Disney+.
