The Obi-Wan Kenobi series starts with the Jedi at a "traumatic moment", reveals producer

Ewan McGregor in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series
(Image credit: Lucasfilm)

Prepare for the return of the Jedi. The upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series will see Ewan McGregor once again playing the famous Jedi Knight. However, whereas Obi has classically been a relatively laid-back Master, the new show – which takes place on the Star Wars timeline between Episode III and IV – finds him in a perilous place as the Empire takes charge of the galaxy. 

Speaking to SFX Magazine for the new issue, featuring Stranger Things on the cover, the series' producer Michelle Rejwan teased how Obi-Wan's "quite lost".

"[We find him in] a pretty traumatic moment, where he’s lost so much, where he’s been hiding, where his apprentice and brother, Anakin, has gone to the Dark Side, and he’s been living with that for a decade," Rejwan says. "We’re really finding him in a place where he’s quite lost, and Ewan was a major part of that conversation."

The producer added that Darth Vader, who will once again be played by Hayden Christensen, was "always part of this story". 

"Because he and Anakin Skywalker are such important characters to Obi-Wan, in the shadow of the events of Revenge Of The Sith," Rejwan continues. "He’s living with how things were left with Anakin on Mustafar, leaving him to die in an incredibly tragic way, because he had no choice. He’s been living with quite a bit of guilt and reflection over this period."

You can check out the full interview with the Rejwan in the current issue of SFX Magazine, which features Stranger Things season 4 on the cover. 

The first two episodes of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series are available from May 27, with episodes following weekly on Wednesdays. For more from SFX, make sure to sign up to the newsletter, sending all the latest exclusives straight to your inbox.

TOPICS

Richard is a freelancer journalist and editor, and was once a physicist. Rich is the former editor of SFX Magazine, but has since gone freelance, writing for websites and publications including GamesRadar+, SFX, Total Film, and more. He also co-hosts the podcast, Robby the Robot's Waiting, which is focused on sci-fi and fantasy. 

With contributions from
Read more
Diego Luna in Andor season 2
Andor season 2 showrunner Tony Gilroy calls Cassian “Star Wars Jesus” ahead of the show’s return on Disney Plus
Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in Andor season 2
Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy says his Star Wars show is trying to be "more serious about this sh*t than anybody ever has been"
Star Wars Visions anime
First look at Star Wars anime Visions season 3 is a "psychedelic battle" exploring the "tormented psyche" of a stormtrooper
Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in Andor season 2
Andor season 2 showrunner Tony Gilroy breaks silence on the weird release schedule: "It's a Disney decision"
Diego Luna in Andor
It looks like a key Star Wars event mentioned in Rebels will be shown in Andor season 2
Liam Neeson in The Phantom Menace
"Wise mentor" or "awful Jedi"? Star Wars fans are debating if Qui-Gon Jinn is to blame for Anakin's turn to the dark side
Latest in Action Movies
Jason Momoa next to Lobo
Jason Momoa has gone method taking on the role of Lobo: "I asked everybody to call me by my character's name"
Avengers: Doomsday directors admit it's a "difficult" movie to make but tease some great Marvel collaborators "old and new"
Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom
The Russo Brothers say Robert Downey Jr. "tried to talk us into" doing another Avengers movie but they "said no" until they heard the pitch for Doomsday: "That story has to be told"
No Time to Die
Harry Potter and Spider-Man producers reportedly in talks to develop new James Bond movie
Amanda Seyfried in Mamma Mia!
Mean Girls star Amanda Seyfried was offered the role of Gamora in the MCU, but turned it down because she thought Guardians of the Galaxy would be "Marvel's first bomb"
Robert Downey Jr. during the Doctor Doom announcement at Marvel's SDCC 2024 panel
Kevin Feige was behind the decision to bring Robert Downey Jr. in as Doctor Doom, and the conversation was had "a while ago"
Latest in News
Adam Scott as Mark S and Britt Lower as Helly R in Severance season 2
There might have been another reason for Mark's decision in the Severance season 2 finale
Silent Hill f art showing a person covered in plants
Silent Hill f has been pre-emptively banned in Australia, with no reason given for the 'refused classification' rating
Assassin's Creed Shadows review gameplay showing Yasuke overlooking the sea and lush green scenery
Assassin's Creed Shadows has already "surpassed the launches of AC Origins and Odyssey" with 2 million players and counting
Helldivers 2 screenshot showing someone using a big gun
Helldivers 2 boss says "death and rebirth" is a natural part of the games industry, but it's "unnecessarily brutal" right now "because we don't diversify enough"
A Dragon Age character stares out against a blue background.
BioWare makes a return to Dragon Age: The Veilguard with a surprise PC update, months after layoffs and a seemingly final patch
God of War 3
God of War PSP's seamless loading was only possible because a Jak & Daxter game was also running in the background