Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ Star Wars series release date and poster revealed
Image Disney+/Lucasfilm
Disney Plus will premiere its Obi-Wan Kenobi series on May 25. The series, one of several Star Wars franchise shows on the streaming service, brings back Ewan McGregor as the fabled Jedi master, alongside Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader. The pair last faced off in the Star Wars prequel trilogy of movies nearly two decades ago.
The news of the show’s release date was a nugget nestled in Disney’s call to discuss its latest financial results Wednesday. A poster was also revealed at the same time, showing McGregor’s older Obi-Wan striding the shifting sands of Tatooine with his lightsaber in hand.
The series is set 10 years after Revenge of the Sith, in which Kenobi grievously wounded his troubled apprentice Anakin Skywalker. At the trilogy’s climax, Anakin became more machine than man and turned to the Dark Side as the Emperor’s acolyte Darth Vader while his children Luke and Leia were hidden from him.
Who is Obi-Wan Kenobi?
Image copyright Lucasfilm.
Obi-Wan Kenobi first appeared in 1977’s Star Wars and the character was played by Alec Guinness during the original trilogy of films.
In 1999, Obi-Wan was reintroduced in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, this time played by Scottish actor Ewan McGregor.
McGregor’s last appearance as the character came during 2005’s Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. During the film, Anakin, who was Obi-Wan’s apprentice, falls to the dark side of the force and becomes Darth Vader.
“I always felt there was a story between Episode III where I finished playing Obi-Wan in the movies and Episode IV where Alec Guinness is Obi-Wan Kenobi,” McGregor commented during an interview with Forbes magazine.
The new series will be set 10 years after Episode III (nearly 20 years before the events of The Mandalorian), as Obi-Wan watches over a young Luke Skywalker on the sand planet Tatooine.
Along with McGregor, the series has also brought back Hayden Christensen as Luke’s dad, Anakin Skywalker, otherwise known as Darth Vader.
“I think it’s no secret that Hayden Christensen comes back and we got to play scenes together again as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker and it was just fantastic to work with him again.”