Ewan McGregor Says Obi-Wan Kenobi Series Isn’t Like The Movies
Ewan McGregor warns to not expect the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series to be like the movies.
This article is more than 2 years old
Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi is about to make a happy landing onto small screens as Ewan McGregor returns as the fan-favorite titular Jedi Knight in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The Star Wars spin-off series stirred up excitement after Obi-Wan Kenobi was first announced and Ewan McGregor confirmed that he would lead the series. While the actor declined on revealing any information about the plot or any details about the show itself, he did promise that he believes that it will not disappoint. He said his experience was different than his time working on the Star Wars prequels thanks to new technology that has been utilized by Disney and Lucasfilm.
Ewan McGregor will be joined by Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader instead of the younger version of Anakin Skywalker. The downfall of Anakin Skywalker was first broken into three parts through the prequel trilogy and then reimagined through animated storytelling during the progression of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse will respectively reprise Owen and Beru Lars, and a new host of faces will contribute to the series.
The actor credits the updated technology for giving Obi-Wan Kenobi a more “real” feeling compared to the excessive use of blue screens that George Lucas opted to use for his early 2000s three-part series. Ewan McGregor points out that the dialogue from his Star Wars days was difficult to emotionally absorb because the environment lacked atmosphere. The StageCraft tech that is being applied to the Obi-Wan Kenobi show was first pioneered for use on The Mandalorian, substituting the physical need to shoot in locations to shooting on one single stage.
While Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christen are two prequel stars that have locked in their return for the Disney+ original, Liam Neeson has revealed that he will not make his comeback as Qui-Gon Jinn. When asked if he would somehow turn up in the limited series, Neeson admitted that Lucasfilm had not approached him with an offer for him to return to his Jedi ways. In Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Jinn was defeated in a duel against Darth Maul. There’s always the chance of Kenobi calling back to Jinn in the form of a Force Ghost, though Neeson’s comments imply otherwise.
Rumors around the Obi-Wan Kenobi series first emerged nearly a decade ago as Ewan McGregor spoke with MTV about the possibility of once again saying “hello there” to the role of Kenobi. During the interview, the actor said that if there was to be a one-off for his character, that it would need to take place during his exile on Tattooine. The plot would also have to align with the timeline that stays in stride with his older counterpart, Alec Guinness, and the events of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.
Lucasfilm and Disney are keen on keeping their plans for Ewan McGregor and his series under lock and key, but the actor’s observations of the timeline could easily give way to what Obi-Wan Kenobi has up the sleeves of its Jedi robes. Ewan McGregor noted that he doesn’t quite know what Kenobi has gotten himself into during his time in the desert, and his predictions could give way to an undisclosed plot. Directed by Deborah Chow, Obi-Wan Kenobi is anticipated to stream on Disney+ in 2022.
