Now that the first season of The Book of Boba Fett has concluded, Star Wars fans are looking to the future - which also happens to be the past - with Lucasfilm's next Disney+ series: Obi-Wan Kenobi. With prequel trilogy stars Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen reprising their roles as Obi-Wan and Darth Vader, expectations are high about what Lucasfilm has in store.
Set ten years after the events of Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan Kenobi looks to explore the Jedi Master's exile on Tatooine through six episodes on Disney+. However, thanks to leaks and interviews from the cast, it sounds like Kenobi will have plenty of company in terms of Jedi-hunting Inquisitors, Luke's Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, and, of course, an epic reunion with Darth Vader.
While the series' release date hasn't been (officially) announced, Obi-Wan Kenobi's Ewan McGregor continues to promote the upcoming show; and while he appears to have enjoyed returning to the character, he also opened up about why Star Wars fans will enjoy the experience, too.
Why Ewan McGregor is Confident About Obi-Wan Kenobi
When Forbes asked leading Obi-Wan Kenobi actor Ewan McGregor about reprising his role as the Jedi Master, McGregor admitted that he "loved playing him again," even though the reception to his Star Wars trilogy "wasn't always glowing:"
“Oh my gosh, well I loved playing him again. I mean it’s quite interesting, after the experience of making the first three films and living through sort of their reception in the world, which wasn’t always glowing, I have to say. And then now, meeting the generation who we made those films for, the children then - and now, people in their late teens or early 20s, those people who were kids who we made those films for, they loved them. To them, they’re their Star Wars films, you know? For us, it was the original films of the 70s, but for them, it was our films were their Star Wars."
Just like how Star Wars as a whole is a generational story, its fan base is also generational. So, when it comes to nostalgia, fans are all over the map in terms of what first appealed to them about that galaxy far, far, away.
While McGregor acknowledged that, his following comment implies that his upcoming series is directed at the prequel trilogy fans, saying, "So to step back into his shoes again now and do a series, a whole series about Obi-Wan Kenobi for those fans, it just makes me really happy.”
In regard to filming the series, McGregor has nothing but praise for its director Deborah Chow, expressing that "she really knows the Star Wars world, inside out, far more than I do:"
“It was a great experience. Deborah Chow directed all the episodes and she’s really good. She directed a couple [episodes] of The Mandalorian and she’s a really great director. She really knows the Star Wars world, inside out, far more than I do. We just had a great time."
While it's true that Chow directed both "Chapter 3" of The Mandalorian's first season and "Chapter 7" in Season 2, she will be the first to direct all episodes of a single live-action Star Wars series, as both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett often featured different directors for many of their episodes.
Of course, the Obi-Wan star had to address the return of Hayden Christensen, who played his Padawan, friend, and then enemy in both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.
While McGregor expressed that "it was just fantastic to work with him again," he was careful not to give too much away in terms of their on-screen reunion, explaining why he's so confident fans will love this story:
"I think it’s no secret that Hayden Christensen comes back and we got to play scenes together again as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker and it was just fantastic to work with him again. I’m not going to give away anything else about the storyline, only I think it’s really going to satisfy Star Wars fans. I always felt there was a story between Episode III where I finished playing Obi-Wan in the movies and Episode IV where Alec Guinness is Obi-Wan Kenobi. The [Obi-Wan Kenobi series] writers and Deb and I and everyone, I think we crafted or they crafted a very fine storyline. I think people are going to like it.”
Does Obi-Wan Kenobi Still Have the High Ground?
While Ewan McGregor didn't give much away in terms of the series' plot or upcoming lightsaber duels, there are still quite a few things that can be gathered from his comments.
First of all, his statement about doing a series for prequel trilogy fans isn't just interesting but also concerning. The Obi-Wan Kenobi fans will see in the Disney+ series is meant to be a bridge between McGregor's take on the character from the prequels and that of Alec Guinness's version from the original films.
Both seasons of The Mandalorian - along with certain episodes of The Book of Boba Fett - have proven that Star Wars is at its best when it acknowledges its entire audience and history.
Hopefully, this is what the show's creators have in mind; and if so, McGregor is likely one-hundred percent correct in his confidence about the show and how fans will respond.
In addition, the fact that McGregor "always felt there was a story between Episode III" and "Episode IV where Alec Guinness is Obi-Wan Kenobi" is great to hear, as it means he's invested in the story and feels that it's justified for his character.
His confidence in the storyline is also a good sign, and the fact that he said "we crafted" before adjusting to "or they crafted" implies that he probably had some input as well.
Of all the projects Lucasfilm has in the works for Disney+ and beyond, an Obi-Wan Kenobi story is "the chosen one" in terms of what fans have been asking for since the franchise came under the Disney umbrella. Hopefully, Lucasfilm's third live-action Disney+ series will live up to the hype and Ewan McGregor's own expectations as well.
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