Will Obi-Wan Kenobi return for Season 2 on Disney+?
Lucasfilm made one of its biggest splash yet on Disney+ in 2022 with Obi-Wan Kenobi, a six-episode series that brought back Ewan McGregor as the titular Jedi Knight and pitted him once again against Hayden Christensen's Darth Vader.
Will Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 2 Ever Release?
Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 2 recently received a disappointing release update when Disney launched physical steel books for several streaming originals, including the Jedi series along with Andor, Moon Knight, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
While every other show was packaged as, "The Complete First Season," Obi-Wan Kenobi found itself labeled as, "The Complete Series," seemingly implying there are no plans to renew the show at Disney+.
Kenobi was originally billed as an event series set to run for only six episodes which was reflected when the 2022 awards season rolled around as Obi-Wan Kenobi was submitted and nominated in limited series categories.
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy spoke about the show's Season 2 chances with Variety in April 2023, telling how the project is "not in active development" but offered a promising "never say never."
Series star Ewan McGregor previously revealed his hopes for another go-round as the Star Wars Jedi to Disney Studios Awards, revealing he loved the Disney+ experience and "[hopes they] get the chance to do it again:"
“I was so happy to do it again, and so happy to work with Hayden again, and I hope we get the chance to do it again.”
Even Obi-Wan Kenobi director Deborah Chow told The Hollywood Reporter how she does not believe Season 2 is "off the board" and McGregor was even "already pitching [her] ideas" for more on the set of the freshman outing.
While it appears Obi-Wan Kenobi was truly conceived as a one-off six-episode season, many of the key creatives needed to reignite the show for Season 2 appear to be on board with returning to that world.
So, the attitude to Season 2 across the board very much seems to be a "never say never" one, meaning the potential is there for it to happen eventually.
This will only be furthered by Obi-Wan Kenobi's status as one of Disney+'s most-viewed original series, which is bound to have Disney executives and shareholders hankering for more episodes to come to the service.
From the sounds of it, Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 2 is not among the series currently in active development at Lucasfilm and Disney+. So if a sophomore outing were to become a reality, the wait would undoubtedly be a long one.
The first reports of Obi-Wan Kenobi entering development came in August 2019 and the series did not make it to screens until May 2022. So if a potential Season 2 was to have a similar development turn-around of about three years, the absolute earliest it could be released is late 2027, and even that seems unlikely.
Who Could Return in Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 2?
Ewan McGregor is the only clear-cut actor who would have to return to make Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 2 a reality. And, as discussed previously, the Scottish star has already expressed interest in coming back for more Jedi adventures.
Going as far back as August 2022 during a Q&A at Celebrity Fan Fest, McGregor told how he is "totally up for" a second season of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Season 1 featured Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse as Luke Skywalker's Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, respectively. As Kenobi continues to watch over the Jedi-to-be on Tatooine, both are likely to appear in a potential Season 2.
After the force ghost of Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn appeared to Obi-Wan in the season finale, one has to wonder if he would play a bigger role in Season 2. The actor has expressed how he is "a snob when it comes to TV" and "[likes] the big screen," but his presence in Season 1 does make his return possible.
Following his Obi-Wan Kenobi cameo, Neeson told The Hollywood Reporter how he "certainly didn’t want anyone else playing Qui-Gon Jinn" and came on board to "show [his] respect to George Lucas" and Ewan McGregor:
"I certainly didn’t want anyone else playing Qui-Gon Jinn, and I wanted to show my respect for George [Lucas] and that mythical world that he created. Plus, Ewan [McGregor] is a pal, and I loved working with him during The Phantom Menace 25 years ago.”
It's certainly possible Neeson's Star Wars return will prove to be a one-off endeavor and the perfect way to cap off Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 1. But his willingness to even dip his toe into the world of Disney+ could open the doors to a bigger role in the future or perhaps just another cameo.
What Could Happen in Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 2?
Obi-Wan Kenobi takes place when the Jedi is roughly 48 years old, and he doesn't meet his demise until A New Hope in which he was around 57 years old. As such, Lucasfilm still has around nine years' worth of storytelling to explore, which would leave plenty of time for more adventures with Ewan McGregor's hero.
After Season 1 treated fans to the long-awaited rematch between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader, it makes sense to leave that rivalry in the dust. Perhaps Season 2 could turn attention to another of Kenobi's greatest rivals - Darth Maul.
Fans of Star Wars Rebels will be well aware Kenobi finally killed Maul on Tatooine in the year 2 BBY, seven years after the events of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Just as Lucasfilm managed to insert an additional face-off between Kenobi and Vader into the canon, the same could be done with Maul for a potential Season 2.
Alternatively, Season 2 could once again pit Kenobi against the Empire's Inquisitors in a story that sees him working with the Hidden Path to help and protect the few surviving Jedi still wandering the galaxy.
Following the end of Season 1, Obi-Wan is back to his old self, having regained his mastery of the Jedi arts and connected with Qui-Gon Jinn's force ghost. The training Obi-Wan will likely receive under the guidance of his former master could play into Season 2 and offer some exploration of the force's deepest secrets.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is streaming now on Disney+.
