For Star Wars fans, Obi-Wan Kenobi is the show they've been looking for. Set to premiere on Friday, May 27, Lucasfilm's newest Disney+ series will finally tell Obi-Wan's story in the years between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope while also reuniting prequel stars Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen. However, they won't be alone.
In addition to the threat of his fallen Padawan turned Sith Lord, McGregor's Kenobi will also be pursued by Jedi-hunting Inquisitors played by Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, and Sung Kang, all while dealing with young Luke Skywalker's disapproving Uncle Owen, with Joel Edgerton reprising his prequel trilogy role.
Owen's opinion of Kenobi and his concern for Luke is no secret to Star Wars fans; but after A New Hope, it has never been revisited or explained. Trailers for Obi-Wan Kenobi have shown this conflict will be touched on in the series; and now, just days away from the show's debut, fans are getting a glimpse of what to expect.
New Extended Obi-Wan Kenobi Clip Released Online
The U.K. talk show Lorraine, via Lord Tucker, shared an exclusive, extended clip of Obi-Wan and Owen Lars' confrontation from Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+.
Following an introduction by Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, the clip opens with Obi-Wan telling Owen that "There's more to life than your farm," and that he - meaning young Luke Skywalker - "needs to see that; there's a whole galaxy out there."
However, Owen disagrees, saying, "I am asking you to leave us alone, Ben. I mean it."
When Obi-Wan asks if Luke is okay, Owen dismisses the Jedi with "You don't care if he's okay. You care if he's showing."
After Obi-Wan states that Luke is his responsibility, Owen responds with "Well, I'm his uncle" before the former Jedi Master reveals that the two have discussed Luke's future before, saying,
"We talked about this. When the time comes, he must be trained."
But then, Owen says what has already been shown in recent trailers, which is, "Like you trained his father?"
The extended clip can be seen below:
Is Skywalker's Uncle Owen Right About Obi-Wan Kenobi?
To date, Lucasfilm's Disney+ projects have done what Star Wars films never did, which is connecting the various trilogies and time periods into a more cohesive story while also filling in the gaps. While this new clip only revealed a bit more than what has already been shown in marketing, it does indicate that Obi-Wan Kenobi will do the same.
For instance, Obi-Wan's statement about Luke needing to see the galaxy supports him later encouraging Luke to go with him to Alderaan in A New Hope. Meanwhile, Owen's scathing response to Obi-Wan's insistence about Luke being trained, recalling the Jedi Master's failure with Anakin, also supports his fear of Luke being like his father in the original 1977 film.
This new footage reveals a number of new aspects as well.
While Star Wars fans saw Obi-Wan give Luke Skywalker to Owen and Beru Lars at the end of Revenge of the Sith, they never saw a dialogue between the couple and the Jedi Master. This clip confirms that there were discussions and even a plan for Luke to be trained in the ways of the Force; but apparently, Owen changed his mind.
But perhaps what is the most revealing is Obi-Wan's view of Luke and his state of mind at this point in the Star Wars timeline.
Despite what happened with Anakin, Obi-Wan is eager and determined to train Luke as he sees the boy as his responsibility as a Jedi Master. Owen, however, seems to think Obi-Wan is seeing Luke as an obligation or a goal as opposed to a person when he says, "You don't care if he's okay."
From this perspective, Owen's determination to protect Luke isn't just understandable, but admirable, and it highlights one of the Jedi Order's blind spots.
As Obi-Wan is forced to revisit Anakin's fall, as well as the reveal that he became Darth Vader, it will be interesting to see how he deals with that knowledge and whether his perspective changes in terms of training Luke.
The first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi premiere on Friday, May 27 on Disney+.
