Obi-Wan Kenobi is set to premiere on May 25th, exactly forty-five years since the first time the titular character appeared on our scenes as portrayed by Alec Guinness in Star Wars: A New Hope. Now, he's back, with Ewan McGregor once again stepping into the role he portrayed during the Prequel era, and it's safe to say that no one is prepared for what Lucasfilm has planned for us.
The limited series is set to take place ten years after the tragic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, where Obi-Wan Kenobi was dealt with his greatest defeat when his closest friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) fell to the dark side. Expectations are high that we might also get a glimpse of the duo back before Anakin's fall when they were allies working alongside each other in the Jedi Order.
In the trailer we see Obi-Wan Kenobi keeping a watchful eye on a young Luke Skywalker, the Grand Inquisitor's hunt for Obi-Wan Kenobi and the remaining Jedi, and the rise of the Empire set to the backdrop of John Williams' soul-stirring "Duel of Fates."
Deborah Chow made her Star Wars debut with Chapter 3 of The Mandalorian, and now she's back showrunning and directing the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, which was penned by Joby Harold. It will be exciting to see what Chow can do with the series, especially since this will be the first Star Wars live-action series that will be written by one screenwriter and directed by a singular director. It will certainly allow for one cohesive creative vision. And based on the trailer, she's getting ready to unleash a truly incredible series.
In addition to McGregor and Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi marks the return of Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse who played Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru in the final act of the Prequel trilogy. In the newly released Entertainment Weekly issue, it was revealed that Moses Ingram will portray a force-sensitive Inquisitor named Reva who is tracking down Obi-Wan Kenobi. The series is also set to introduce a new slate of characters, though a few could theoretically be portraying characters previously seen in the Star Wars canon, though nothing is confirmed yet. The cast list includes Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, and Benny Safdie.
The limited series is executive produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, Deborah Chow, Ewan McGregor, and Joby Harold.
Obi-Wan Kenobi will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on May 25th, 2022. Check out the first trailer below: