After years of cries from Star Wars fans for Ewan McGregor to return to the world as Obi-Wan Kenobi, that dream is finally set to become a reality as the actor stars in his own Disney+ series, set to release in 2022.
Lucasfilm has recently confirmed the special event series will begin filming in April, alongside a reveal of the entire main cast. In addition to McGregor, Anakin Skywalker actor Hayden Christensen will return to his prequel trilogy character, this time likely donning the iconic Darth Vader suit.
The cast list also confirmed Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse are returning to the franchise for the first since Revenge of the Sith, likely to reprise their roles as Luke's Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru.
Little is known about the specific plot details of the project aside from it taking place between the prequel and original trilogies. During this period, Obi-Wan was living on Tatooine watching over Luke Skywalker as he grows up, which explains Edgerton and Piesse's return.
Alongside the obvious returning favorites, the star-studded cast was packed out with big names like Eternals' Kumail Nanjiani, Game of Thrones' Indira Varma, and breakout The Queen's Gambit actress Moses Ingram. Despite the diverse cast reveal, the roles of all the new additions were left in mystery.
As fans begin to speculate who these new cast members could be playing, here are some of The Direct's bold predictions for the Obi-Wan Kenobi cast, from Ahsoka Tano to Asajj Ventress.
MOSES INGRAM
Despite being a newcomer to the world of Star Wars and Hollywood as a whole, Moses Ingram took third billing on the series' recent cast reveal behind the previously confirmed Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen. The American actress made waves last year with her breakout performance as Jolene in Netflix's The Queen's Gambit.
It's likely that performance is what drew Disney and Lucasfilm's attention to her, earning her a major role in Obi-Wan Kenobi. But with little known about the plot of the series, it isn't easy to predict who she could be playing.
The actress teased on Instagram that she will “play with lightsabers” during the series, meaning her character will likely be a force user of some kind, but which side of the force will she sway to?
Main Prediction: An Inquisitor
The Inquisitors have yet to appear in live-action Star Wars, however, the Ewan McGregor-led spin-off series seems like the perfect place for them to make their debut. The group of Dark side force users debuted in Star Wars: Rebels as they scoured the galaxy to seek out and kill the few remaining Jedi who survived Order 66.
So far, 11 Inquisitors have been established in canon across a variety of mediums, some being male, and some female. It's unlikely Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker will be the series' central villain, even though he is sure to spend some time in the iconic Darth Vader suit.
With characters like Ahsoka Tano and Bo-Katan having made their live-action debuts in The Mandalorian, it's clear Disney is looking to bring animated fan-favorites into live-action. The Inquisitors are a key element of the post-Revenge of the Sith canon as they were an ongoing menace in the lives of all the surviving Jedi.
Even if it isn't as the main antagonist, not putting Kenobi up against a Jedi hunter in his event series would be a missed opportunity by Lucasfilm.
Bonus Guess: Young Ahsoka Tano
The live-action Star Wars universe finally cast its Ahsoka Tano last year in Rosario Dawson, who debuted in The Mandalorian and will go on to star in her own Disney+ series. However, Rosario Dawson's take on the iconic Clone Wars Jedi is significantly older than she has been shown in the past, given she would be 45 years old by that point in the timeline.
With Obi-Wan Kenobi taking place only ten years after Revenge of the Sith, Ahsoka would only be 27 during the series, the same age Ingram currently is. The two force-users fought side by side during the Clone Wars, so it would make sense that their paths may have crossed again before Kenobi met his demise in A New Hope.
With Hayden Christensen finally returning to the role of Anakin Skywalker, many have speculated he and McGregor may be de-aged for some flashback scenes to the prequel trilogy's timeline. While she was obviously created after the trilogy was made, Ahsoka had a major role in the duo's lives during that period and would be a logical inclusion.
The only issue holding this back is Disney's willingness to have two versions of Ahsoka Tano on-screen in the same year. Both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka are set to debut in 2022, so featuring both Moses Ingram and Rosario Dawson in the role could create some confusion among casual fans.
Another Bonus Guess: A'Sharad Hett
A report from The Illuminerdi last year revealed that prior to rewrites, Star Wars Legends villain A'Sharad Hett was slated to be the main villain of Obi-Wan Kenobi. In the non-canon comics, Hett was a Jedi during the Clone Wars who joined the Tuskan Raiders as a warlord after Order 66.
With the aim of wiping out Tatooine settlers, Hett and his followers planned to attack the Lars' home in which Luke Skywalker was currently living. However, a force ghost of Qui-Gon Jin appeared to Obi-Wan in time for him to make his way to the farm and take on Hett. Naturally, Kenobi came out on top in the duel, leading Hett to leave the planet and become Darth Krayt.
This is a much less traditional story for Star Wars and one that would make for an interesting storyline. Obviously, Disney wouldn't directly adapt the story, but elements could be taken to form Hett's role in the series. Some fans have theorized Ingram could play a gender-swapped version of the Tuskan villain, given the original plans for him to play a key role in the Disney+ epic.
Assuming this original scoop was true, if Hett is no longer the villain of Obi-Wan Kenobi, then it's clear the rewrites to the story were far more extensive than fans may have originally envisioned. The reason behind the major changes to the story is still unclear, but the original plan wasn't up to Lucasfilm's high standard of Star Wars.
KUMAIL NANJIANI
Kumail Nanjiani has grown into an A-list star of Hollywood in recent years. While the comedic actor grew to fame on HBO's Silicon Valley, he has since taken up roles in many major blockbusters. The Pakistani actor will be seen alongside stars like Angelina Jolie this November in Eternals, a brand-new Marvel franchise.
Obviously, given the expansive nature of the Obi-Wan Kenobi cast, it can be assumed not everyone will play a returning character and some will be new original characters. With no clear resemblance to any familiar faces, Nanjiani is likely one of these new characters, but the extent of his role is hard to pinpoint.
Main Prediction: A New Droid
When it comes to comedic actors joining the Star Wars universe, it's commonplace for them to end up voicing droids or unique creatures for them to flex their funny bonet. Taika Waititi played killer robot IG-11 in the first season of The Mandalorian, and Alan Tudyk voiced K-2SO in Rogue One.
It wouldn't be a story in the galaxy far, far, away without a few classic droids to break up the tension and add to the sci-fi feel of it all. However, there is little evidence to go off here, and it's entirely possible Nanjiani's role could be much larger, given his newfound stardom.
RUPERT FRIEND
British actor Rupert Friend has so far had his biggest roles in Homeland as Peter Quinn, and video-game movie adaptation Hitman: Agent 47 in which he played in the titular role.
Main Prediction: Wullf Yularen
Rupert Friend could be playing any number of characters, but there is one major imperial he bears a clear resemblance to. Wullf Yularen appeared in a minor capacity as an older imperial general in A New Hope but went on to play a much larger role in The Clone Wars.
While Yularen died on the Death Star as a key member of the galactic empire, his story began as a high-ranking officer of the Republic, serving under Anakin Skywalker. If Obi-Wan Kenobi were to feature flashbacks to the Clone Wars era, Yularen would be a logical inclusion, and Friend would be a good choice to play him.
INDIRA VARMA
Indira Varma shot to fame with her role as Ellaria Sand in Game of Thrones, playing the lover of The Mandalorian himself Pedro Pascal's character. Since then, she has acted in a multitude of smaller productions but is set to have a big year in 2022 thanks to her roles in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mission Impossible 7.
Main Prediction: Asajj Ventress
A popular prediction among fans has been that Varma will play Count Dooku's Clone Wars apprentice Asajj Ventress. The Dathomirian played a key role in the animated series, before eventually meeting her demise before the end of the Clone Wars.
Short of a miraculous resurrection, this would make Ventress sadly deceased during the events of Obi-Wan Kenobi, ruling out any appearance during the main events of the series. However, some casting theories listed previously potentially paint the picture of a thrilling flashback story to one of Anakin and Obi-Wan's many missions during the three-year war.
Bonus Guess: Duchess Satine Kryze
However, if Ventress weren't to make her live-action debut in Obi-Wan Kenobi another obvious possibility would be Duchess Satine Kryze. The Duchess was the ruler of Mandalore during The Clone Wars and formed a close romantic bond with Obi-Wan prior to her death at the hands of Darth Maul in the animated series' fifth season.
The two had an intimate relationship that was naturally kept secret from the Jedi council due to the order's code, however, it never became official. Nonetheless, it was a critical part of Obi-Wan's younger years and his only romantic relationship in canon, almost guaranteeing he would have spent some time reflecting on it while hiding out on Tatooine.
MORE SURPRISES TO COME
Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn
Despite being a critical part of Obi-Wan Kenobi's story, Qui-Gon Jinn has only appeared in live-action once, played by Liam Neeson in The Phantom Menace. Across animated TV, comics, books, and more, Jinn has appeared to Kenobi as a force ghost to offer him wisdom and advice.
Neeson has said in the past that he would be interested in returning to the role for the Disney+ series, and he would make a welcome addition to the cast. If the long-awaited return of Qui-Gon were to become a reality, it's safe to say many fans would love to see the Irish actor back in a bigger capacity, in his own pre-death series down the line.
Ray Park/Sam Witwer as Darth Maul
You can't talk about Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan without mentioning Darth Maul. While the Sith was seemingly killed during The Phantom Menace, The Clone Wars revealed he survived his fight with Kenobi and went on to cause issues as a rogue terrorist for years to come.
However, he was eventually killed by Kenobi, for real this time, on Tatooine during Star Wars: Rebels. This death scene took place seven years after Obi-Wan Kenobi will, making an appearance a strong possibility.
Given that most Star Wars fans probably aren't up-to-speed on the animated events of the universe, Darth Maul is seen by most viewers as having died during Episode I. Solo showed the villain alive post-The Phantom Menace for the first time in live-action, running the Crimson Dawn crime organization.
It would be an interesting idea to finally see Qui-Gon Jinn's killer go face-to-face with Obi-Wan once again, as the rivalry between the two has always been an intriguing one. In Solo, animated voice actor Sam Witwer took on the role, while he was played by British actor Ray Park in The Phantom Menace.
Based on this most recent appearance, it can be assumed that, if Maul were to pop up again, Sam Witwer would be the one to don the red make-up for the role.
Young Luke Skywalker
Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse are finally returning to Star Wars as Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, following their brief appearances in Revenge of the Sith. With the Tatooine couple set to appear in a story centered around Obi-Wan's time watching over Luke Skywalker, it would be surprising if a child version of the Jedi didn't make an appearance.
The series is set to take place around ten years after Order 66, making Luke ten years old during the events of the Disney+ story. With a Skywalker appearance almost a certainty, it makes sense why Disney wouldn't reveal such a young actor as a part of the cast due to the online buzz that would come with the announcement.
Additionally, a Luke Skywalker cameo would be a big deal and one that would make sense to keep as a surprise until he finally makes an appearance. This would mark the second surprise role of the Disney+ era for Skywalker after a de-aged Mark Hamill popped up in the latest episode of The Mandalorian.
