The Obi-Wan Kenobi series will be set 10 years after Revenge of The Sith’s events, placing it neatly between the prequels and original trilogy. The series, which will bring Ewan Mcgregor back in the role he took over from Sir Alec Guinness for the prequels, will also feature the return of Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader. That casting news is set to keep the internet talking for months, teasing another showdown between the pair following their climactic battle in the Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
A recent production listing teased that the show would take place on Tattoine and feature an infant Luke Skywalker. However, there was no confirmation of an exact timeline, assuming it would take place several years after Obi-Wan has settled on the desert planet. Unlike The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a limited series of just six episodes. Despite earlier rumors of a January start, it is confirmed to roll cameras in March 2021 for a likely 2022 release. Now, at Thursday’s Disney Investor day, the precise timing of when the limited series will take place was announced.
Alongside the bombshell announcement of Christensen’s return, Disney confirmed the official title, Obi-Wan Kenobi, as well as the fact the show takes place ten years after the events seen in Revenge of the Sith. The announcement also teases a re-match showdown between McGregor and Christensen’s iconic characters, with the show set to stream, unsurprisingly, on Disney+. The show’s logo also confirms Tattoine as the setting, with sand blowing to reveal the title. You can see the announcement tweet below:
The timeline lines up with a previous casting announcement looking for children to play Luke and Leia around 10-years old. That means Obi-Wan Kenobi will be something of a return to the Skywalker Saga, including as it does at least three members of the Skywalker family. It’s also a sign that the show’s scope will not be limited to Tattoine, especially if Darth Vader is involved. The news is exciting as it broadens the potential size of the series and teases it could feature Obi-Wan traveling beyond the desert planet’s confines.
The timeline also leaves room for the so-called limited series to add new episodes in the future. The intent is clearly to make this a special one-off cinematic television event at the moment. Still, if it performs beyond expectation, Disney has built-in an allowance for the series to continue for a few years without starting to clash with the original trilogy timeline. That remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt Obi-Wan Kenobi is being set up as a prestige Star Wars show to rival The Mandalorian.
