'Obi-Wan Kenobi': Theories On Where The Story Could Go

Since Sir Alec Guinness appeared on the screen as the venerable Ben Kenobi in A New Hope, some of us wondered about the Force and dreamed of someday becoming a Jedi Knight. However, despite any misgivings Guinness had about playing the role of the aging Jedi Master, the character Obi-Wan Kenobi became an essential part of the story of Luke Skywalker and his journey from farm boy to Jedi.

When Ewan McGregor took over the role in The Phantom Menace, he respected what Guinness brought to the character, but he also made it his own in many unique ways. For an entirely new generation of Star Wars fans, McGregor is their Obi-Wan Kenobi. Since Revenge of the Sith, fans have wondered if McGregor would ever reprise the role, taking the story to a new period. Maybe they would catch a glimpse of Kenobi watching over a young boy whose destiny lies along a different path. 

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At D23 2019, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and Ewan Mcgregor confirmed that he would reprise his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi. On February 9th, 2022, Lucasfilm officially announced Obi-Wan Kenobi will begin airing on Disney+ on May 25th, 2022, exactly 45 years to the day of the first Star Wars movie, and one day before Star Wars Celebration Anaheim. Some could say it rhymes, like a poem. Obi-Wan Kenobi is easily one of the most anticipated series on Disney+ regardless of the franchise. With that comes questions. What will the series be about, and why has Lucasfilm been so quiet about it? 

Let’s tackle some theories as to what Obi-Wan Kenobi could be about. To do that, we must first set the stage. We know from the Lucasfilm press release that the story begins ten years after Revenge of the Sith. This would place it nine years before A New Hope and approximately about the same period as Solo: A Star Wars Story. Who knows, maybe we will see Alden Ehrenreich in the background working for a certain new Hutt boss. Luke would also be about ten years old at this point. 

Also premiering in May is the new Obi-Wan Kenobi comic book from Marvel. It will be a five-issue miniseries that tells the story of Kenobi’s earlier adventures. So perhaps some of those earlier adventures will be shown in the Kenobi series. Ten years on Tatooine is about the halfway point of his time there so I am sure Kenobi will have run-ins with Luke’s aunt and uncle, who are not exactly fans of the crazy old man. Kenobi is bound to have some exchanges with the Tusken Raiders like Boba Fett and Din Djarin, but will these be the violent tribes that attacked Luke in A New Hope?

The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett explored the use of flashbacks, and Kenobi will likely have its fair share. To support this theory is the return of Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader. There has already been word that Vader and Kenobi will “have the rematch of the century.” Fans have assumed that their duel in A New Hope was their first meeting since their encounter on Mustafar. However, Star Wars has not been shy about taking preconceived notions and tossing them in the garbage. Let the past die! 

One has to wonder what will be the endgame for the Kenobi series? Will there be a time jump after Kenobi finally kills Maul in Star Wars Rebels? Will Kenobi lead into A New Hope? ILM’s ability to do anything as far as aging or de-aging a character means the sky is the limit. With the rumblings of a new rebellion forming, having some communication between Kenobi and Bail Organa (hopefully Jimmy Smits) cannot be ruled out. 

With Deborah Chow directing the entire series, it is a sure bet that Kenobi’s character will be well developed by the series’ end. McGregor is such an amazing actor. It will be fascinating to see how he portrays Kenobi as a hermit on a vast desert planet with one job, make sure Luke does not die. But will that be it? Kenobi could venture off-world if he felt it was necessary, relaying messages as the next Fulcrum for the Rebel Alliance. I fully expect to see Kenobi take the name Ben at some point during the series. 

Of course, with every new project comes the utmost secrecy from Lucasfilm. The Kremlin would be jealous. One must wonder why there is such confidentiality for a series everyone has been waiting for? I remember the days when each issue of the Star Wars Insider would have new images and news about the prequels, and I ate it up. Now it is crickets until the show is released, and then we are flooded with Art Of books. It is called marketing, people. However, it would not hurt to throw us a bone. Honestly, would we not watch the series because we saw an image of Aunt Beru a couple of months early? Of course not!

It will be very special for a lot of fans to see Ewan Mcgregor and Hayden Christensen back in Star Wars. It will also be interesting to see how they play each character under a different director from before. The Book of Boba Fett wrapped up today. The Bad Batch is next coming in the spring, so there is still time to think about where the Kenobi series could go. Ugh! Is it May yet?

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Written By Eric Onkenhout

Source(s): StarWars.com

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