Word was that an Obi-Wan Kenobi television series has been in the works at Disney+ for some time now, with Ewan McGregor prepared to resume the role he played from 1999 to 2005 in the Star Wars prequels. The project stalled for a bit, and changed hands, but a week or so back, there was chatter that production was finally revving up.
It was. And an announcement made at the Disney Investor Day presentation has assured that we’re getting well more than we bargained for.
Not only is the Obi-Wan Kenobi television show going forward, but it will see the return of a not-so-friendly-anymore face: Hayden Christensen will be stepping into the role of Darth Vader for the first time since the end of 2005’s Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. No word on what James Earl Jones will be up to, but it’s fairly safe to assume that he will also be back if Vader is. The move isn’t an altogether surprising one, given the rumors that swirled around Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker and the assumption that Christensen might show up. The actor’s return to the franchise has been long-anticipated.
Hayden Christensen returns as Darth Vader, joining Ewan McGregor in OBI-WAN KENOBI. The Original Series begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Revenge of the Sith, and is coming to #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/9WR2npRUkk
— Star Wars (@starwars) December 10, 2020
It gives fans an idea of what to expect for the show, in addition to the timeline offered up—Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi will be set ten years after the prequels, and the presence of Vader might point to some digging on the part of the Sith Lord. Is he seeking out his old master? Will they play a galactic long-game of Cat and Mouse?
Obi-Wan Kenobi will begin filming next year, and perhaps we will see the miniseries by late 2021 or early 2022.
