After a year of waiting, The Book of Boba Fett is now down to its final episode, set to debut next week. Lucasfilm has a significant amount of projects slated for 2022 releases, but what specifically comes next is still a mystery. The common theory is that things will be quiet until May the 4th when the highly-anticipated Obi-Wan Kenobi series could make its streaming premiere.
The desire for Ewan McGregor's return to the galaxy far, far away has been high since Disney acquired Lucasfilm and announced new projects. After nearly a decade of development, Obi-Wan is finally set to bring McGregor and Hayden Christensen, who will return as Darth Vader, back to screens. The wait has been long, but fans have learned patience and can hold out a little longer - but they want to know when to expect the show.
Rumors have long pointed to a Spring release for the series, and May 4 landing on a Wednesday makes Star Wars Day the logical front-runner. Unlike previous series, Obi-Wan Kenobi is receiving a significant amount of ancillary material on the publishing front, much of which also releases in May. A new tie-in has just been announced for a May release date, further suggesting that the series is destined for a similar fate.
Obi-Wan Comic Debuting In May
The official Star Wars website has announced that Marvel Comics will be releasing Star Wars: Obi-Wan, with the first issue dropping in May. The five-issue miniseries, written by Christopher Cantwell, is set right before A New Hope, with the titular hero documenting journeys from various points in his life in his journal.
The cover for the first issue can be seen below:
Cantwell teased that the series' through line will be Obi-Wan's patience and perseverance in the midst of tragedy:
"He lost his Master, his best friend…he’s experienced a lot of grief. But he pushes forward. He waits on Tatooine for decades. He is the Buddhist concept of kshanti — patience — personified. He is able to hold onto the glimmers of light amidst the cloak of darkness. Every issue thematically deals with his ability to do that as a person."
Set just weeks before Episode IV, the author says Kenobi can feel his destiny is coming and looks to his past for strength and resolve:
"The frame story of the entire series takes place just weeks before A New Hope begins. So here’s Obi-Wan, waiting and sensing that things are about to drastically change. There is going to be some culmination of his destiny. And — just like what happens for us all when we face some of our greatest challenges — he is really wrestling with it internally. It’s this wrestling that is in fact causing him to reflect on his past. He’s searching for strength and wisdom he’s gained over his lifetime, wanting it to reinforce his readiness to face his fate."
There will be several familiar faces throughout the series as well:
"Writing Yoda was surreal. Getting that speech pattern right isn’t as easy as it sounds. And I’ve always loved Qui-Gon. He’s my favorite part of the prequels and such a fascinating character. Anakin proved trickier, because he’s as multifaceted as a diamond."
When Does the Obi-Wan Kenobi Show Premiere?
It sure seems as though May is the front-runner for a release window, with Star Wars Day, in particular, being the logical premiere date.
There's indisputable evidence that points to May being the special month. On May 10, Del Rey will be publishing Star Wars: Brotherhood, a novel following Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker's adventure on Cato Neimoidia - business that doesn't count. Coming much later in July is the Padawan young adult novel, a tale set during Obi-Wan's adolescent days. With the announcement of Obi-Wan, however, there's another point for May, as multiple releases now coincide with when the series could debut.
A case could be made for Obi-Wan Kenobi dropping somewhere in between May 4 and the Padawan book, but the latter is likely more a case of scheduling for the publishing front and would also be well beyond the Spring timeframe the show is supposed to release. It's always possible that the series drops in May, but not on Star Wars Day - there's a chance Lucasfilm may elect to do one final marketing push during Star War Celebration, then drop the show at the end of the month.
The Obi-Wan comic should be a fun tie-in to the series, regardless of when the show ultimately releases. Obi-Wan Kenobi is among the noblest characters in all of Star Wars, and getting a look at the moments that give him confidence before embarking on his final journey in A New Hope will be fascinating. Despite the horrible things he's experienced, Kenobi has always held on to the light. Maybe his encounter with Vader in the forthcoming show will be something addressed in the comic...
Obi-Wan Kenobi will release in the Spring on Disney+.
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