Once again, Star Wars fans prove that they are a Force to be reckoned with. In the span of one short weekend, the Obi-Wan Kenobi series has become Disney+’s most-watched premiere globally. The series brings the return of Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen to reprise their iconic roles as the Jedi Master and his ill-fated apprentice, and already the show is a huge success.
In the middle of the Star Wars Celebration 2022, while Disney unleashed its numerous interviews, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes for fans, the long-time coming premiere for Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi was released on May 27. The Star Wars series picks up a decade after the epochal events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, with the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi now in exile on the desert planet of Tatooine. Kenobi bridges the gap between the prequels and the original Star Wars films, which first introduced Luke Skywalker to the world in ’70s and birthed one of the largest sagas and fandoms in the world.
Already, in two episodes, Kenobi has thrown fans for a loop. The mini (read: massive) series has introduced a young Vivien Lyra Blair (Birdbox) as young Leia Organa, who has been kidnapped by Vect Nokru played by none other than Flea. Though Obi-Wan’s mission is to protect Luke Skywalker, he also has a duty to the daughter, as her adoptive father and Senator, Bail Organa, points out. It’s off of Tatooine, once Ben, formerly known as Obi-Wan, has collected young Leia that he and the audience find out that Anakin Skywalker is in fact still alive, at least sort of. Multiple characters have already been introduced or referenced to in the Disney+ exclusive series, including Queen Breha Organa played by Simone Kessell, the return of Joel Edgerton as Owen Lars, Jimmy Smits, and Temuera Morrison, and now Lord Vader himself.
Originally set to be a feature-length film, Kenobi was re-imagined into a full series, helmed by director Deborah Chow following the success of Disney+’s The Mandalorian. In the age of streaming an episodic series lends the time necessary to tell the stories that are as rich in lore as Star Wars, and the global success of the opening weekend for Obi-Wan Kenobi proves that giving the fans what they want certainly pays off. Without the stressful confines of a possibly-three-hour film, Chow is able to provide fans with a montage and flashbacks from the prequel films, flesh out original characters and provide nuance to the new ones.
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