Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi recently took the high ground in the Jedi duel that is its release strategy. Indeed, the upcoming Disney+ series not only confirmed a release date for May but provided a first teaser image in the form of a poster, showcasing our favorite sagely retired Jedi master wandering through the desert—not even on a horse with no name. The imagery seems adherent to the known arc of Obi-Wan, who famously stayed hidden as a hermit on the desert planet Tatooine to watch from afar as Luke Skywalker was raised by his aunt and uncle. However, based on what’s known about the show, there may be more to the visual story here.
Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi is back, and the poster for the upcoming Disney+ series shows him in what appears to be a bind, walking alone in a desert that we can assume, based on the two visible suns, is on Tatooine. While we don’t know why he’s here, his seemingly exhausted, labored gait contrasts with what appears to be an excited, alert demeanor; a notion clearly complemented by the fact that his right hand is gripping his trusty lightsaber, which is not exactly something he’d do if he was simply out on some peaceful pilgrimage.
As for what kind of intense action is in store for the series, that remains a mystery for the most part. Indeed, back when McGregor’s return as Obi-Wan Kenobi from the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy was initially revealed, the news was met with enthusiasm and curiosity. The enthusiasm reflected the fact that his performance remains a widely acclaimed part of the still-divisive films, and curiosity came since the 2005 prequel closer Revenge of the Sith had seemingly set the character on a direct, uninterrupted path toward the subsequent events of 1977’s A New Hope, in which his decades of self-imposed hermitage ended when rapidly escalating events forced him to become Luke’s Jedi mentor and eventual martyr at the hands of former student Darth Vader. However, Obi-Wan Kenobi will flip that long-accepted narrative by bringing back prequel co-star Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, setting up some hitherto unknown post-prequels/pre-ANH battles between the two. Accordingly, the poster image of McGregor’s older, but Prequel-resembling version of the character is likely in the midst of some Imperial incursions.
While posters often utilize metaphorical, interpretive imagery, depicting scenes not directly showcased in the respective films or series they represent, this one illustrates the definitive narrative challenge for Obi-Wan Kenobi. The series will need to walk a thread-thin canonical tightrope when it comes to the exiled Jedi’s confrontations with Darth Vader and the Empire as a whole, especially if those confrontations take place on Tatooine. After all, we know for a fact that he successfully stayed hidden on the desert planet for decades under the thin pseudonymous disguise of “Ben” Kenobi. Thus, there’s no realistic scenario in which he confronts these forces on the desolate Outer Rim planet without his cover being blown. Perhaps these mystery battles will climax with a détente of some kind between Obi-Wan and Vader, in which the former agrees to stay hidden forever. Such a development would add context to Vader’s long-analyzed A New Hope line to Kenobi, “You should not have come back.”
Regardless, the more-expansive nature of the series is proven by the fact that McGregor will be joined by an ensemble consisting of Moses Ingram, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell and Benny Safdie. Plus, besides the returning Hayden Christensen, Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse are reprising their respective Prequel Trilogy roles as the Luke-raising, ill-fated Owen and Beru Lars.
Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi is now set to commence its six-episode weekly Disney+ run on Wednesday, May 25.
