Few franchises have proved as enduring and popular as that of Star Wars. The galaxy set far, far away has generated numerous blockbusters over the years, presenting us all with some of the most iconic characters to have ever graced the screen and cement their place in pop culture history. With the kind of loyalty that stretches across numerous generations, it seems only fitting that Disney would see in their hit franchise a plot-generating machine, one in which spinoffs and sequels come easily. Now, the latest venture is that of Obi-Wan Kenobi, with Disney+ having announced it will have its own series.
Ewan McGregor will return to the titular role, following his appearances in Episodes I-III. The show will also round out its cast with Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson and countless others, including Hayden Christensen returning as Darth Vader.
And it’s the aforementioned character that is proving most captivating in the latest footage to be released, courtesy of the series’ second trailer. Fans were quick to jump on a key highlight from the footage, which sees Christensen return to the role, complete with helmet and breathing apparatus.
It makes for an interesting direction, particularly as McGregor previously told Total Film: “I’ve never met Darth Vader. I had rehearsed the scene with Vader, but not with the helmet on or anything like that. When we came to do the scene, when they shouted ‘action’ he had to come from behind me. I turned around, and fucking Darth Vader was coming at me.”
McGregor, naturally, received quite a shock. “It was like I was six again. It scared the shit out of me. I’m not joking. It gave me a proper jolt of absolute fear. I was like, ‘Oh my God. That’s not acting. That’s real. I’m really, truly frightened right now’.”
According to series director Deborah Chow, fans might be in for something of a showdown between Obi-Wan Kenobi and his former fallen apprentice. “There is so much going on between [Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope] that hasn’t been explored…We couldn’t tell the story of Obi-Wan without Darth Vader,” explained Chow. “We will definitely see Obi-Wan and Darth Vader get into it again. The idea of being able to go into a character journey plus the politics and plus all the vastness of the Empire and what’s going on is exciting just because it feels like a proper period of history and sometimes that is hard to do in two hours.”
Christensen, unfortunately, gave little away. “I wish I could tell you…I’m sworn to secrecy,” he said when asked about his return to the franchise by Entertainment Weekly. “We’re going to see a very powerful Darth Vader.”
As series writer Joby Harold suggests, fans won’t be disappointed by the Obi-Wan Kenobi series and the return of Vader. “His shadow is cast across so much of what we do. And the degree of his proximity to that shadow is something that we’ll discover. But he is very much a part of the show emotionally for Obi-Wan, and possibly beyond that as well.”
