The upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series on Disney Plus will follow the beloved Jedi in the time between Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sithand Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The show also follows in the footsteps of the streaming platform’s instantly iconic live-action Star Wars series The Mandalorianand its first spinoff, The Book of Boba Fett, which arrived in December 2021. In 2018, it was reported that an Obi-Wan Kenobi feature film was in the works, but after Solo: A Star Wars Story underperformed at the box office, that project was shelved. The character of Obi-Wan Kenobi, however, has an immortal grip on Star Wars fans—hence the TV series and its pivot to Disney+. The show was first announced in summer 2019, and while the series reportedly ran into some hiccups on its way to production, with calls for new scripts and shakeups in the writers’ room, it’s now finally on its way to audiences. Here’s everything we know about theObi-Wan Kenobi TV series, including its first teaser trailer, plus casting, release dates and more.
Will there be an Obi-Wan Kenobi series?
Indeed, an Obi-Wan Kenobi series is coming! Titled, appropriately, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the series will follow the Jedi and Darth Vader between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Disney’s official synopsis reads, “The story begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where Kenobi faced his greatest defeat: the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, turned evil Sith Lord Darth Vader.” McGregor told Vanity Fairin a May 2022 interview, “I just said, ‘I think that [Obi-Wan Kenobi] should be a story about a broken man, a man who’s lost his faith.’ He always has a funny line to say or always seems to be calm and is a good warrior or soldier or whatever, but to see that man come apart, and see what gets him back together again—that’s where we started.”
Is there an Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer?
On March 9, 2022, a nearly-two-minute teaser trailer dropped. It opens with Obi-Wan declaring, “The fight is done. We lost.” (That’s a reference to to the fact that the series takes place after the prequel trilogy.) We then see a young Luke Skywalker pretending to fly a Starfighter; Obi-Wan’s job at this point is basically to protect Luke from afar. Meanwhile, Jedi hunters are trying to eliminate the remains of the Jedi order and, presumably, to look for Obi-Wan and/or Luke. The teaser’s tagline reads: “Between Darkness and Defeat… Hope Survives.” (Star Wars Episode IV is “A New Hope,” and the New Hope was Luke Skywalker, so you do the math!) On May 4, 2022—Star Wars Day!—another full trailer dropped for the series.
Where can I watch Obi-Wan Kenobi?
Obi-Wan Kenobi will stream exclusively on Disney Plus. Most likely, the platform will drop one new episode per week, as it’s done so far with all of its original series.
What is the Obi-Wan Kenobi release date?
Disney+ announced on Feb. 9 that Obi-Wan Kenobi will premiere on Wednesday, May 25—but that’s since been changed to May 27, 2022! Like all Disney Plus series, it is expected to roll out one episode per week rather than dropping all episodes at once, though the first two episodes will premiere together on May 27. Disney enlisted McGregor to make the announcement on March 31, 2022. “Hello Star Wars fans! Thank you for your incredible support and response to Obi-Wan Kenobi,” he said in a clip titled “Transmission from Obi-Wan Kenobi.” “I have some important news: Our premiere date is moving just a couple of days from Wednesday to Friday, May 27. But here’s the exciting part: The first two episodes will premiere together! So make sure you tune in to both episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, streaming Friday, May 27, exclusively on Disney+.”
Who is in the Obi-Wan Kenobi cast?
The confirmed cast for Obi-Wan Kenobi includes McGregor as the titular Jedi, Hayden Christensenas Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker), Joel Edgerton as Luke Skywalker’s uncle Owen Lars, and Bonnie Piesse as Luke Skywalker’s aunt Beru Lars. Moses Ingram will star as villain Sith Inquisitor Reva. She gushed to Entertainment Weeklyof the role, “Reva is a boss. I mean, really like a full-on athlete. She is on a mission and will conquer that at all costs when given the opportunity. She is pretty badass.” Other cast members have been announced, though their actual roles are under wraps. These stars include:
Kumail NanjianiO’Shea Jackson, Jr.Indira VarmaSung KangSimone KesselRupert FriendBenny SafdieMaya Erskine
It’s also been speculated that a young Luke Skywalker may appear in the series, based on an April 2021 tweet that featured a photo Owen and Beru Lars’ Tatooine home, where Luke was raised; however, no casting news of a potential Luke has yet been revealed. McGregor said there will be one much bigger difference between his prior experience as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels and the upcoming TV series: The CGI won’t be as ridiculous. He explained to The Hollywood Reporterthat George Lucas “wanted more and more control over what we see in the background” of the scenes in the prequels as their responses from critics and fans grew more tepid. The outlet reports that by the time Revenge of the Sith rolled around, “physical sets and backdrops had almost entirely been replaced by bluescreens.” “After three or four months of that, it just gets really tedious — especially when the scenes are … I don’t want to be rude, but it’s not Shakespeare,” McGregor admitted. “There’s not something to dig into in the dialogue that can satisfy you when there’s no environment there. It was quite hard to do.” The Mandalorian and other Star Wars TV projects will instead use technology called StageCraft, McGregor revealed, which will make the experience feel more realistic and tangible for the actors on set. “They project [the virtual backgrounds] onto this massive LED screen,” McGregor explained. “So if you’re in a desert, you’re standing in the middle of a desert. If you’re in the snow, you’re surrounded by snow. And if you’re in a cockpit of a starfighter, you’re in space. It’s going to feel so much more real.”
Will Hayden Christensen be in Obi-Wan Kenobi?
Yes, he will! Christensen will reprise his role as a young Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker) in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Concept art for the series has shown an unmasked Darth Vader, and a teaser on Disney+ showed Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi having a rematch, light sabers and all. In an interview in the sizzle reel, McGregor said, “[Having] another swing at each other might be quite satisfying for everybody!”
Is Darth Maul in Obi-Wan Kenobi?
Ray Park was set to reprise his role as villain Darth Maul in Obi-Wan Kenobi, but the entire story—including Maul’s presence—was scrapped, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Sources told the outlet that the series was set to focus on the title character taking care of a young Luke Skywalker, but was reworked as to not be as similar to The Mandalorian, which famously follows Din Djarin’s relationship with Grogu (“baby Yoda”). The edits to the story ended in Darth Maul being written out of the show, replaced by Darth Vader as the Big Bad and Reva as a fellow villain.
Who is playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in the new series?
McGregor will reprise the role of a younger Obi-Wan, telling the Associated Press that shooting Season 1 was a satisfying experience. “I think it will not disappoint. I think it’s gonna be good. I had a really good time making it, and worked with some really wonderful people, lovely people,” he said. “The new technology we employed doing it is cool, and it was a different experience than making the original three films that I did.” McGregor also revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live back in May 2021 his Obi-Wan Kenobi costume may look “slightly different” in the series, and hinted that “someone very special in [his] life” will act alongside him in the show. The only hints he gave as to the star’s identity are that he hasn’t acted with them before (ruling out Mary Elizabeth Winstead, with whom he co-starred in Fargo and Birds of Prey) and that the person is “not necessarily” related to him. McGregor said that his age played a role in his return to the iconic Jedi character. “I want to get closer and closer to how Obi-Wan felt while Alec Guinness was playing him,” he told Empire. “I feel like I’m grayer and nearer him in age, so it’ll be easier to do that.”
How can I watch the Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series?
Obi-Wan Kenobi will stream exclusively on Disney+.
Is Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Mandalorian?
So far, Obi-Wan Kenobi hasn’t appeared in The Mandalorian, but it’s still possible he may appear in that show’s third season, as no details have been announced for it just yet.
Who will direct Obi-Wan Kenobi?
Deborah Chow, who served as a director on The Mandalorian, directed Obi-Wan Kenobi. Her resume also includes Mr. Robot, Jessica Jones, and Better Call Saul, just to name a few. She is the first filmmaker of Asian descent and the first woman to ever helm a live-action Star Wars project. She told Vanity Fair of making history while working on The Mandalorian, “Even when I first got this job, it didn’t even cross my mind. I don’t know what fairyland I was in, to not think this was significant. But I went through prep and it didn’t occur to me until somebody said it on one of the first days of shooting … It didn’t occur to me that I was the first one to leap.” She added, though, that she wants the focus to be on her work, not on her heritage. “I want it to be about the work. I want to be a good director, not a good female director, not a good Asian director. But by the same token, obviously, my career path and the representation … it is important. It is meaningful. I want to see more women directors and I want to see more directors of color.” Chow explained to The Hollywood Reporter’s TV Director Roundtable that directing Obi-Wan Kenobi would be different from directing The Mandalorian in one huge, yet very simple way. “It’s definitely going to be different, just in terms of the sheer workload, obviously, of doing the whole thing,” she said. “But in some ways, I’m going to miss having a team and having people who are there to bounce ideas off of. But then obviously the flip side is, it is nice to have a coherent voice and know what you’re doing from beginning to end.”
Who will write Obi-Wan Kenobi?
Joby Harold wrote all episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi. His writing credits include Army of the Dead, and he also was an executive producer on WGN’s Underground and John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum. Harold took over the writing gig from Hossein Amini, Varietyreported.
Will Liam Neeson be in Obi-Wan Kenobi?
Liam Neeson, who played Qui-Gon Jinn in the Star Wars prequels, has said he hasn’t been approached to reprise the role in Obi-Wan Kenobi, despite fans speculating that he may have appeared in the show as a Force ghost. “I’ve done the voice for Qui-Gon Jinn in a couple of the animated versions of it,” Neeson told Collider. “I can’t remember the names of them. Myself and Sam Jackson did our Jedi knights for those. I think I did two of them. But on film, I haven’t been approached, no.”
How many episodes are there of Obi-Wan Kenobi?
There will be six episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi and each will be about an hour long, according to McGregor.
How many seasons of Obi-Wan Kenobi are there?
So far, there is just one season of Obi-Wan Kenobi announced. McGregor told Entertainment Tonightthat the series would be a “standalone,” but added, “We’ll see. Who knows?” Deborah Chow told Entertainment Weekly, “It was definitely conceived as a limited series, and it is one big story with a beginning, middle, and end. The approach has always been that it is one full story.” Still, don’t rule out a potential second season. “It’s certainly something we talk about, mainly because everybody came together and had such an incredible time,” LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy said. “Ewan had an incredible time. Hayden had an incredible time. So certainly from that point of view, everybody involved would love to see this not end. But we have to really spend our time asking the question: Why would we do it? If we were to decide to do anything more with the Obi-Wan character, we’d have to really answer the question why?” Next, test your Jedi knowledge with these Star Wars trivia questions and answers!
