There’s an entire generation of Star Wars fans who recognize Ewan McGregor as the definitive Obi-Wan Kenobi. The actor wasn’t the first to play the role, but after appearing in all three prequel films, and reprising his role 20 years later in Obi-Wan Kenobi, it’s easy to see why he’s become the character’s steward.
It also doesn’t hurt that McGregor is often campaigning for more Kenobi-centric stories. Since Kenobi wrapped its first (and currently only) season in 2022, the actor has consistently expressed interest in returning for another go. Until recently, his comments didn’t go beyond wishful thinking, but he recently offered a surprising update about Kenobi’s future.
During an appearance at L.A. Comic Con, McGregor revealed that the Kenobi team are “definitely hoping” to make another season. Disney and Lucasfilm are currently “exploring” potential stories, and McGregor believes there’s plenty of material to choose from. “Obviously, between the end of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series and when Alec Guinness is Obi-Wan Kenobi, there’s got to be another few stories in there,” he teased.
Kenobi takes place 10 years before A New Hope, the film that introduced Guinness as Obi-Wan, so there’s definitely space on the timeline. But after the so-so reception to its first season, there’s a question of whether Kenobi should actually continue. Optimistically, another season could finally make good on the series' promise, redeeming the show two years later.
Kenobi wasn’t exactly what fans were looking for. The limited series should have pulled the curtain back on a curious chapter of Star Wars lore by exploring Kenobi’s lost years on Tatooine. Instead, it spun its wheels with a tale about Obi-Wan’s bond with a young Leia Organa, the Jedi Purge, and the rise of the Imperial Inquisition. It felt like a rehash of the events depicted in other, better stories, from Rebels to Jedi: Fallen Order. It also felt like a waste of Obi-Wan’s potential as a character.
Two years later, Kenobi remains one of Lucasfilm’s most disappointing Disney+ offerings. But does that mean the series shouldn’t get another chance? A second dose could flesh out Obi-Wan’s relationship with a young Luke Skywalker and show us how he learned to become a Force ghost, bridging the gap between McGregor’s take on the character and the man Guinness played in A New Hope.
If the Kenobi team can follow that brief, maybe a continuation would be worthwhile. Of course, that’s a pretty big “if,” but McGregor’s sheer enthusiasm suggests he deserves another chance to explore this character further.
