Ewan McGregor is returning to the role that brought him international acclaim and the character whose most iconic line has become one of hundreds of Star Wars prequel memes.
Obi-Wan Kenobi, a limited series, will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on May 25 and will consist of six episodes, all directed by Deborah Chow, who directed two episodes of The Mandalorian during its inaugural season. McGregor will reprise his role in the series, which takes place 10 years after Revenge of the Sith.
The first teaser trailer of the series debuted Wednesday to much fan speculation. Fans have been eagerly waiting to see Obi-Wan again, especially as his character will reunite with Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader (with Hayden Christensen reprising the role from the prequels) for what Kathleen Kennedy calls the “rematch of the century.”
Concept art of Obi-Wan Kenobi confronting Darth Vader in the Kenobi series.
The trailer suggests that Obi-Wan is going to come face-to-face with the Jedi hunters known as Inquisitors. The Grand Inquisitor, first introduced in Star Wars Rebels in 2014, is set to make his live action debut in this series. The Grand Inquisitor laments about how to hunt for Jedi; he knows the Jedi won’t be able to resist helping others, and it appears he and other Inquisitors threaten innocent people in order to draw out Jedi.
Probably the most welcome part of the trailer was the use of the infamous song Duel of the Fates, which was first introduced in McGregor’s first Star Wars film, The Phantom Menace. The song plays during the climatic duel and has come to symbolize both Obi-Wan and Maul. Series composer John Williams is said to have composed the main theme for this series and the trailer did seem to use an alternate version of the song, suggesting it could be the main theme.
Entertainment Weekly released photos of the series, giving a first look at the series ahead of the trailer. In one of the photos, Luke’s Uncle Owen (Joel Edgerton, reprising his role from the prequels) appears to be threatened by an Inquisitor known as Reva (Moses Ingram), which seems to suggest Obi-Wan may have to intervene and reveal himself to protect Owen.
(L-R): Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton) and Reva (Moses Ingram) in Lucasfilm’s OBI-WAN KENOBI, exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.
The trailer gives a brief glance of a young Luke Skywalker living with Owen and his aunt Beru (Bonnie Piesse reprising her role from the prequels) and pretending to be a pilot while Obi-Wan watches over him from a distance.
A young Luke Skywalker is watched over by Obi-Wan Kenobi as seen in a shot from the Kenobi series’ trailer.
It’s not clear yet how much of a role young Luke will play in the series, but as he is Obi-Wan’s ward, it’s likely Luke’s safety will be threatened, in addition to Owen and Beru.
“Like my father before me” pic.twitter.com/xiZHRiCRyt
— Okiro (@TheFirstOkiro) March 9, 2022
As this series takes place after the near defeat of the Jedi Order, it likely will not feature a lot of fighting. Rather, the series will likely focus on Obi-Wan attempting to live with the trauma of the past amidst being hunted by the Inquisitors and Vader. Only time will tell.
Until May 25, the Force will be with us.
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