Watch: Obi-Wan Kenobi Reveals First Footage of Darth Vader

By Nathan Johnson Updated:
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, Owen Lars, Reva

Obi-Wan Kenobi is set to be released on Disney+ on May 27. Ewan McGregor will be reprising his role as the Jedi Master, with Hayden Christensen back as Darth Vader to bridge the 19-year gap between A New Hope and Revenge of the Sith. An official trailer was previously released for the show, which gave fans a first look at what to expect. With the premiere just a few weeks away, marketing has really picked up. The actors have given their thoughts about returning to the world of Star Wars, and director Deborah Chow has even teased that some familiar characters will show up.

May 4 is the official Star Wars Day. Disney and Lucasfilm often release something new every year to celebrate the occasion. On May 4, 2020, the series finale of The Clone Wars, "Victory and Death," was released, marking the end of the seven seasons. Exactly one year later, that show's spinoff, The Bad Batch, premiered its first episode on Disney+. This May 4 saw the release of Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett, providing behind-the-scenes looks at Mark Hamill on set and even some insight into The Mandalorian Season 2

Fans have now gotten some more new content in the form of an Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer, with new footage featuring the first look at Darth Vader outside of his suit.

Star Wars Releases Obi-Wan Kenobi Trailer on May 4

Star Wars released an official trailer for Obi-Wan Kenobi on Star Wars Day. The new footage features shots of Obi-Wan, the Inquisitors, and Owen Lars, and also includes a look at Hayden Christensen's Darth Vader. The first two episodes of the series will premiere on Disney+ on May 27.

Darth Vader Obi-Wan
Star Wars

The trailer teases glimpses of Lord Vader, showing Anakin being transformed with cybernetic limbs and costuming.

Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Star Wars

The new footage confirms that the show will feature shots of Vader outside of his suit, not just when he is more machine than man.

Obi-Wan Darth Vader
Star Wars

Moses Ingram's Reva, Sung Kang's the Fifth Brother, and another one of Vader's Inquisitors can also be seen at Fortress Inquisitorius in the new trailer.

Inquisitors, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Star Wars

Reva has her lightsaber ignited and is ready for action with a group of Stormtroopers.

Reva, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Star Wars

The footage also revealed the first look at Kumail Nanjiani's character, who appears to be in distress.

Kumail, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Star Wars

 The Grand Inquisitor, played by Rupert Friend, makes another appearance in the new trailer, menacingly exiting his ship on what appears to be Tatooine.

The Grand Inquisitor, Obi-Wan Kenobi
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Joel Edgerton's Owen Lars is seen talking to Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi. In the footage, Owen requests that he and his family, including Luke Skywalker, be left alone. Obi-Wan then states that Luke will need to be trained in the Jedi arts, to which Owen responds with, "Like you trained his father?"

Owen Lars, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Star Wars

The full trailer can be seen below:

 

Along with the trailer, Star Wars also revealed a brand new poster for the show which contains Vader and Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan Kenobi Poster
Star Wars

 

Darth Vader's Looming Presence

Star Wars is still trying to keep Darth Vader's appearance as much of a surprise as possible. The only look that fans have gotten of the Sith Lord up until this point was a still image of him in his full cybernetic suit. This new footage teases that there will be at least one scene where Hayden Christensen can be seen as Anakin Skywalker, which could even lead to some flashback moments before the rise of the Empire.

The new trailer also reveals that Obi-Wan will be in contact with Luke Skywalker's uncle, Owen Lars, at some point in the series. It is still unclear whether or not they will have ongoing face-to-face meetings throughout the series, but it does confirm that Owen wants no part of Obi-Wan, likely because he fears for his family's safety. Obi-Wan is a surviving Jedi and is being hunted by the Empire, so if Vader or the Inquisitors were to find him, they would likely feel the strong presence of the Force coming from Luke as well, which would put everyone in danger.

A recent rumor suggested that a cute new droid would be appearing in Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a brief shot in the trailer featuring a circular-shaped droid seems to line up with the report about its appearance.

With the premiere of Obi-Wan Kenobi only a few weeks away, it is likely that this is the last official trailer that will be released. However, fans can expect some 30-second TV spots that feature new and old footage to be revealed, as well as other marketing strategies to raise the excitement level to be as high as possible.

The first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi will be released on Disney+ on May 27.

- About The Author: Nathan Johnson
Nathan is a writer at The Direct where he covers Star Wars, the MCU, and DC news. He joined The Direct in April 2021 and currently writes news and feature articles about all three brands mentioned above, but his main specialty is his knowledge about anything and everything Star Wars.