Strike down one Obi-Wan project, and it shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine. Yes, it seems Star Wars fans may finally get their wish for Ewan McGregor to reprise his prequel trilogy role as a younger Obi-Wan Kenobi, as Disney+ is reportedly in talks with the actor for a limited series spotlighting the Jedi master’s continued adventures.
Cinelinx reported early Thursday that McGregor had entered negotiations for the role, which were soon confirmed by Hollywood trades. Neither Disney nor Lucasfilm have acknowledged any details of the proposed spinoff, though the untitled Obi-Wan series would likely pick up development of a long-gestating solo film, as previously set to be helmed by Stephen Daldry. Disney largely halted development of its stand-alone Star Wars films after the tepid performance of last year’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, as well as fears of diluting the brand with too-frequent theatrical releases.
An Obi-Wan series would mark the third live-action Star Wars property on deck for the Disney+ streaming service, following the Jon Favreau-shepherded The Mandalorian, and a Rogue One prequel series centered around Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor. The latter has The Americans vet Stephen Schiff writing and directing, but has otherwise confirmed few details.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was of course portrayed by Sir Alec Guinness in the original 1977 Star Wars, as well as the two sequels that followed. McGregor picked up the prequel role in 1999’s The Phantom Menace through 2005’s Revenge of the Sith, and made a brief audio contribution to J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015. The character has otherwise been portrayed in numerous canonical tie-in cartoons, including by James Arnold Taylor in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Stephen Stanton in Star Wars Rebels.
Disney+ will launch The Mandalorian in November, leaving any timeframe for an Obi-Wan series unclear. Given the timing of McGregor’s negotiations, however, it’s plausible the D23 expo later this August will bring an official announcement.
