There was nearly a time when Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi series put the Jedi Master together with someone other than Anakin Skywalker. Ewan McGregor, who played Luke Skywalker in the series, discussed his character’s origins at the Boston FAN EXPO.
McGregor claimed that “it was intended to be a narrative about myself and Luke” in reference to the show’s original plot.
That was one of those lightbulb moments when everyone went “Wait a minute,” and everything shifted: “It was always going to be that.” Instead, Kenobi’s efforts to save Luke’s sister Princess Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) from kidnappers were the show’s main emphasis. We see Kenobi and Leia together throughout the series as he attempts to return Leia to her home planet of Alderaan. Despite the change in Luke’s job, Grant Feely will still be a part of the show. Obi-Wan is seen keeping a close eye on young Skywalker when he is at home with his Uncle Owen (Joel Edgerton) and Aunt Beru (Carrie Fisher) (Bonnie Piesse).
However, when Obi-Wan approaches Owen about teaching Luke, Owen declines since he believes that Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) was killed in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005). Reva Sevander (Moses Ingram) hunts down Luke on Tatooine in the season finale. The episode concludes with Owen introducing Luke to Obi-Wan. Mark Hamill’s adult Luke Skywalker has made cameos in several Disney+ Star Wars shows, including the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian and the sixth episode of The Book of Boba Fett. In addition to Luke and Leia, we also see other members of the Skywalker family. Darth Vader, played by James Earl Jones, was a recurring antagonist in the series.
Episode 5 also featured a flashback of Obi-Wan and Anakin from around the time of Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002). Later in the season, Kenobi and his former Padawan engaged in a lightsaber duel. A combat sequence in the climax was “a really emotional moment to shoot, and obviously a very crucial one,” Christensen said in an earlier interview. “Everyone, I feel, was cognizant of that the moment they stepped foot on the set that day. The mood has drastically changed. There’s a lot of feeling in the film since it was an emotional experience for both Ewan and me.” While this will be Christensen’s final appearance on a Disney+ Star Wars series, his involvement in the franchise is far from over. Christensen’s casting as Anakin in Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka series was confirmed in October 2021.
Also, on August 26, fans will be able to see Darth Vader once more when Rogue One: A Star Wars Story comes to theatres. Disney+ subscribers may watch the whole six-episode Obi-Wan Kenobi series right now.