Disney Plus is constantly releasing new, exclusive shows this year, and one of the most highly anticipated is Obi-Wan, coming May 25th, with Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen reprising their roles as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker respectively. Deborah Chow, director of several TV episodes in The Mandalorian, as well as American Gods and Mr. Robot, will be directing six episodes of Obi-Wan. As someone experienced with what the fans want as well as balancing that with the story, I trust that her skills will make the series truly great.
Kathleen Kennedy, head of Lucasfilm and co-executive producer, as Ewan and Michelle Rejwan are the others, of the show, ensures that the series will be done in the way George would want it. I loved seeing him meet Grogu on The Mandalorian set, so maybe we’ll get to see him meeting the new Luke! That’s right, there will be a much younger version of Luke in this show, although we don’t know how much of the story will focus on him in the six hours of content. The position of writer for the show actually changed hands, after the original writer, Amini, left the project. Obi-Wan was actually delayed so it could be reworked, although much of the work is still partially credited to Amini, up to the last three episodes.
Hayden’s performance of Anakin in the prequels received mixed reviews. He received a lot of backlash from the Star Wars community, but views have changed in the twenty years since the movies were released. Many people say that the criticism surrounding him at the time was too harsh, as he did the best he could with what he had. In behind-the-scenes clips, you can see him asking George Lucas for acting direction, and his acting is emotional as he becomes more twisted by his desire for power to protect his family. However, Lucas’ lines are clunky, and he’s often been criticized by Mark Hamill for writing lines “no real person would ever say.” Great, compelling character, but he was dealt a bad script. Who knows how he’ll appear in this show, with a new script, and possibly even a new look?
Ewan McGregor was originally chosen for the role, not only for auditioning well but because his looks resemble Alec Guinness’s, the first actor to play Obi-Wan Kenobi. He and Hayden are still good friends, as well as masters at the art of lightsaber fights. Fans have been speculating as to whether the show will use de-aging technology for flashback scenes set back in Episodes I-III, which could be interesting to see. Ewan himself is an incredible actor, skyrocketing to fame for his lead role in Trainspotting, which Pedro Pascal fanboyed over in an interview with him, and is more recently known for Birds of Prey and Doctor Sleep. Hayden’s involvement is very secretive, whereas Ewan was used to officially announce the TV series and was told the secret four years ago, having kept it secret until then, and he continues to do press. As the months pass, I hope Disney will release more teaser trailers and information, but for now, we fans are happy to wait in suspense to see our favorite diplomat grace our screens for the first time in seventeen years.