Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen would be up for a second season of Obi-Wan Kenobi
McGregor says he'd like to return to the Star Wars universe "every now and again"
Aux News Obi-Wan Kenobi
For all those curious as to how Obi-Wan Kenobi transforms from the youthful-looking Ewan McGregor to the distinguished elder Alec Guinness, well, you might get to see it play out in real time. At least, if McGregor and co. have anything to say about it: the Obi-Wan Kenobi team are interested in doing a second season, and perhaps even beyond.
Speaking with Radio Times, director Deborah Chow stressed that the Disney+ show was conceived “as a limited series” and “its own standalone” story. But she conceded: “I mean, there are of course more stories that you could tell. There’s obviously another 10 years before we get to A New Hope and with a character like Obi-Wan Kenobi, I think even just watching him ride across the sand sometimes is interesting. So, who knows? It’s hard to say right now, but it was not the intention.”
McGregor’s on-screen foe, Hayden Christensen, has repeatedly stated his desire to continue playing with lightsabers in whatever project will take him, including more Obi-Wan. “…I would love to continue with this character. You know, I think there’s certainly more there to explore and I would be so excited to get to do so,” he told Radio Times, adding that he “would certainly be open to” appearing in a second season of Obi-Wan.
As for McGregor himself, he recently told GQ that “If I could do one of these every now and again–I’d just be happy about it.” He reiterated to Radio Times: “I hope it’s not the last time I play him. I had such a great time doing this, I’m sure we can think of a few more stories before I turn into Alec Guinness, don’t you think?”
It’s a tight window with canon, but they’ve got wiggle room, so… why not? McGregor could be suitably old and gray by the time he’s done playing a Jedi. As for including Vader, perhaps the end of that iconic line in A New Hope is “I sense something; a presence I’ve not felt since… last week, during the Obi-Wan Kenobi ninth season finale.”
47 Comments
So Ben and Darth will just be weekly sparing partners?The obvious appearance difference from Ewan to Alec is UV damage from being around a red light Saber without sun screen.
Actors want well-paying jobs? Astonishing.
Also, actors being contractually-obligated to say nice things about the project they’re currently working on and selling? Astonishing.
They haven’t been contractually or otherwise obligated to say nice things about the prequels and these two have been for 20 years anyway. Let’s not discount the possibility that they genuinely enjoy dressing up like Jedi and sword fighting. I can think of worse jobs.
Breaking: Canadian farmer Hayden Christensen would not mind returning to one of the most visible and lucrative franchises of all time
Wait, he is a farmer?
He bought one a few years after Revenge of the Sith, presumably as acting work slowed down. Crops and animals and everything.
fascinating, i will have to look into this more
Moisture farmer. And known to herd Nerfs.
Why is this the new go-to comment on every damn article? This isn’t clever.
i would mind.
They will make so many seasons that they will have to create a new dub in A New Hope where Vader says “when last we met, I was but the learner. Now I am the master” and Obi Wan says “been a busy week for you, huh?”
Congratulations on making a worse version of the same shitty joke that was already made in the fucking article.
Cheers, genius.
“When we met last week, I was but the learner. Now I am the master.”
“This morning at brunch, I was but the learner. Now I… have gas. Hang on.”
“when last we met”No one’s life is so good that they need to make up things to be mad about.Vader did not say “when last we met”.
But how will they top the festering pile of boring that this season was?
The is genuinely no reason Hayden Christensen needs to be in this series ever again.
Also, ironically, this series had the same problem Better Call Saul has been happening this final season: I know how it all ends, so my interest level quickly wains when I realize there is no twist that brings new context to future events.
“Also, ironically, this series had the same problem Better Call Saul has been happening this final season:”
I thought you were going to compare a 41-year old Hayden playing teenage Anakin to 75-year old Jonathan Banks playing Six-Years-Younger-Than-When-He-Showed-Up-In-Breaking-Bad Mike Ehrmentraut.
Ah but Saul has the Kim wild card and whatever happens to Lalo. I’m expecting some surprises.
Maybe there’s no “twist” exactly, but you don’t think Leia’s relationship to Kenobi or Kenobi vs. Vader Round II adds new context to future events in the Star Wars saga?I know what you’re saying, and probably agree, but there is certainly new context to “help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope” and I think that can be the fun of these prequel stories, when done right – filling in the canvas with a little more color.
I really don’t care about how it would fit with dialogue from a 45 year old film, but I do think it strains logical credibility for Obi Wan to keep leaving his post on Tatooine, so if they do another season, it will have to stay on the desert world, and who wants to see more of that place?
“I do think it strains logical credibility for Obi Wan to keep leaving his post on Tatooine”
Why? He was doing sweet fuck all on Tattooine.
They should DEFINITELY not do another season. Having Obi Wan encounter Vader one time during the long time gap between trilogies is one thing.Having it happen a second time would really be pushing it. It’d be a massive case of diminishing returns. What else is there to do between the two of them?The same holds true for Leia. And, without Vader, anyone Obi Wan comes up against is going to pale in comparison. The show already made it seem like Inquisitors were basically chumps, so they can’t go back to that well.Obi Wan had a huge character arc this season. That’s been put to bed. He’s now the hero Obi Wan he once was. What other story is there to tell? Obi Wan spies on Luke some more, gets into light disagreements with Owen. And, what, goes up against Jabba or something?There’s literally nowhere to take this character.
Obi Wan has to go undercover at Luke’s bar mitzvah
It’s frustrating that all of the characters in this universe are so boxed in by the very narrow continuity parameters established in ANH. It would be fun to watch a dozen seasons of Ewan as Obi-Wan going off on different adventures every year and periodically crossing paths with Hayden as Vader.But they’ve really already stretched the established status quo of ANH, where it’s pretty clear Obi-Wan hasn’t been on any adventures in years and has spent his exile hanging out in a cave waiting for Luke to grow up, and Vader has been tending to the Empire for 20 years with no awareness that Obi-Wan is even alive. The more crazy adventures between these two, the more it cheapens their confrontation on the Death Star.
“It’s frustrating that all of the characters in this universe are so boxed in by the very narrow continuity parameters established in ANH.”
The narrow parameters were established in the prequels, when some moron thought that it made sense to hide the most powerful Force-wielder in history’s child in LITERALLY his Vader’s back fucking yard, not in ANH. There was NOTHING planned when he was making ANH.
Yeah, but its not like their confrontation on the Death Star was the stuff of legends. A couple of 5 year olds could have done better light sabre choregraphy.
I mean, the fight choreography isn’t up to 21st century standards, but their initial confrontation on the Death Star *invented the lightsaber battle*, capturing the imagination of several generations. It’s one of the most iconic and influential scenes in film history.
Plus I think the fight in AHN works given that they are in a much more confined environment plus Obi Wan has adopted a much more conservative fighting style consistent with his advancing years. He also wasn’t looking to defeat Vader in that fight.
Completely agree. I was against Obi Wan and Vader meeting in this series at all due to continuity issues, but really there wouldn’t have been much of a show left at all if they didn’t do it and I’m mostly satisfied with the results.But how many other epic, urgent missions can Obi Wan REALLY go on in the few years left before ANH? Certainly none with Vader, so we’d be back to square one.
but really there wouldn’t have been much of a show left at all if they didn’t do itI mean, obviously they would have written the show to have a different storyline if Vader and Kenobi meeting wasn’t part of it. I don’t think anyone’s suggesting that this show should have been the same except for the two of them meeting up.
I don’t need another season of Obi-Wan at all, but I did find Vader an intriguing character and would totally be up for a Vader limited series. I haven’t seen the animated shows or read the comics, so I don’t know how much of this is explored elsewhere, but the glimpses and hints we get of the repercussions of his fall to the dark side, and the seeds of his conflict between light and dark, were interesting enough to make me want more.
Marvel’s new canon Darth Vader series have been pretty consistently great apart from sometimes dodgy artwork. They fill out his story between each of the movies after Revenge Of The Sith and are generally more cohesive than the old EU. The writers get to be pretty wild and twisted with Vader’s POV and life in Palpatine’s court.If you want to read a bunch of comics Marvel Unlimited is a really good deal. A month for $9.99 (right now half that) and unlike Comixology they still have a good web based comic reader.
I always get error messages when using the Marvel Unlimited webreader… their app is A+ though.
But you can’t have an unrepentant villain as your protagonist. Vader should remain fully evil until ROTJ. that’s the whole point.
“Obi Wan had a huge character arc this season.”
Yeah, from being a coward who doesn’t remember how to use the force and needs a small child to talk their way out of situations he turned into…nothing interesting.
Obi-Wan picks learns an instrument and goes on tour with the cantina band?
If there are any more Obi Wan and Leia adventures, it’ll get real weird in a decade when she doesn’t seem to know him well and only Luke is particularly broken up over his death.“You served my father in the Clone Wars…and also knew my parents, saved my life, and bonded with me pretty closely throughout my entire childhood. Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, like the several other times that has happened in recent memory.”
Obi Wan will be part of the upcoming seasons detailing Leia and one for Luke. Ho wont need another season of his own exploits.
The idea of many seasons of Obi Wan successfully just escaping Darth Vader’s grasp over and over again is kind of amusing.Then again, that’s pretty much what the He-Man/Skeletor and Thundercats/Mum-Ra relationships were. (JUST KILL THE GUY ALREADY!)
He’s trying to slow play it to the point where he can play into Disney’s love of remakes and just straight up just do the original movies in Alec Guiness’s place. CGI him in like they put Christensen’s Force ghost at the end of ROTJ.
Please no.
just stop.
Looks like I’m alone here, but I would go for it….without Hayden Christensen.The story of Obi-Wan and Anakin has been told and no good can come from trying to milk more out of it. (There are only so many times the two of them can meet up and duel in between Mustafar and the Death Star and the first season was already pushing it.)But if they wanted to do more with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon’s force ghost, Reva’s redemption (maybe become involved with the burgeoning rebellion?) and Bail and Leia, I would watch in a heartbeat.
There are, of course, ways to continue Kenobi’s story. There are a million stories they could tell with Vader. They probably shouldn’t do either.
Whether they make more or not, I’m happy Hayden got (and more so even wanted to get) another shot in Star Wars. As a longtime fan of the prequels, the recent collective cultural retcon of seemingly all of Star Wars fandom that he wasn’t bad and in fact may have actually been good, and that the prequels aren’t too bad either is nice.Although it also makes me hate everyone, because you’re all phony!!! I know the truth! I liked Kate Bush before Stranger Things and I thought the Tusken-Raider-slaughter monologue in Attack of the Clones was incredible!
But mostly, glad we’re all happy for him.
The one character I would like to see more of is Kumail Nanjiani’s character. Maybe he will show up in Andor.