10 laser-hot questions ahead of Obi-Wan Kenobi

Will Obi-Wan and Vader meet? Is Mace Windu really dead? Does Jar Jar Binks get the cameo he so richly deserves?!

By Alison Foreman, Matt Schimkowitz, Jack Smart | May 26, 2022 | 5:50pm

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10 laser-hot questions ahead of Obi-Wan Kenobi

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(Clockwise from bottom-left): Joel Edgerton as Uncle Owen (Disney+); Kumail Nanjiana as Haja (Screenshot: Disney+); Satine Cryze in The Clone Wars (Disney via starwars.com); Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu (Disney via starwars.com); Darth Vader (Disney via starwars.com); Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+) Graphic: Jimmy Hasse

At long last, Obi-Wan Kenobi isn’t so far, far away. The new Star Wars series, featuring Ewan McGregor’s much-anticipated return to the titular role, arrives on Disney+ May 27 with the first two of its six episodes dropping at 3 a.m. ET. Directed by Deborah Chow, whose previous intergalactic credits include chapters three and seven of The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi takes place after Revenge Of The Sith, which saw Obi-Wan’s protege Anakin (Hayden Christensen) turn to the Dark Side—but before A New Hope, which had Obi-Wan fighting alongside Luke, Leia, Chewbacca, and Han up until his untimely death at Darth Vader’s (formerly Anakin’s) gloved hand.

Filling in what happened for Jedi Master Obi-Wan during this critical time in Star Wars history could mean cosmic shifts for the storytelling universe. So, of course, like a herd of Banthas champing at their bits, we’re dying to see what happens next—and can’t help but start theorizing. Here are 10 burning questions we have before watching Obi-Wan Kenobi.

1. How will Vader and Obi-Wan’s second face-off change the Star Wars canon?

If we were writing this list on paper, then you can bet this question would be capitalized, underlined, and in a Dark Side shade of red—because it’s pretty much the only question that really matters. Recall that, at the end of Revenge Of The Sith, Obi-Wan Kenobi leaves Anakin to die on Mustafar after Anakin murders a whole bunch of Jedi children on behalf of the Sith. Previously, it was thought that the pair didn’t meet again until Vader killed Obi-Wan in A New Hope; but, of course, the TV show seems set to change all of that. The trailer never shows the two together, but Inquisitor Reva’s (Moses Ingram) insistence to Obi-Wan that “You can’t escape him!” seems at the very least…pointed. If (a 2008 TV series set between the events of the second and third prequel films) let us better know Anakin and Obi-Wan as friends, then Obi-Wan Kenobi should deconstruct their hatred in a way that imbues what we know comes next for the two enemies with new meaning. Let’s just hope that all that revisionist history doesn’t result in too many plot holes—or, god forbid, any full-blown retconning. [Alison Foreman]

2. Did Mace Windu somehow survive Revenge Of The Sith?

Here’s a good storytelling rule of thumb: Never trust anyone who falls to their to death to stay dead. At the end of Revenge Of The Sith, Jedi Knight and master swordsman Mace Windu had his lightsaber hand unceremoniously chopped off by Anakin before Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid) used Force-lightning to fling the poor guy out a window. That was seemingly the end of the Force-sensitive fan-favorite and his kick-ass purple lightsaber. But few actors appreciate a surprise appearance like Marvel veteran Samuel L. Jackson, who has repeatedly voiced interest in bringing the character back. In March on the , Jackson said he was confident Windu was still alive. “It’s the same way I think about the dude from Jurassic Park,” the actor joked, referencing the presumed offscreen death of chief engineer Ray Arnold. “He’s somewhere riding around on velociraptors with one arm. He’s just on that island riding raptors.” Hell. Yes. [Alison Foreman]

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3. Which prequel actors will reprise their roles?

Commander Cody was the clone who handed Obi-Wan his lightsaber moments before Order 66 forced him to turn on his Jedi friend. Could he and the other clones factor into Obi-Wan Kenobi’s plot? They’re all, of course, played by the great Temuera Morrison, and although that particular casting juice was already squeezed with his Mandalorian-era appearance as clone offspring Boba Fett, it’s not out of the question he could return to play any number of canonical Stormtroopers born of the late great Jango Fett.The same goes for Jimmy Smits as Alderaan politician Bail Organa, one of the only people in the galaxy keeping the secret of Luke and Obi-Wan’s survival. They’ve already booked McGregor, Hayden Christensen, and Joel Edgerton, so what’s to stop Disney from bringing back the whole prequels cast and making this series Star Wars: Episode 3.5? Heck, while they’re at it, why not get Rose Byrne back as Leia’s handmaiden Dormé! [Jack Smart]

4. Could we see young Leia in addition to young Luke?

If, per the last question, Smitts returns as Senator Organa, could that return also be when the show checks in on his adopted daughter Leia? Canonically speaking, a decade after Revenge Of The Sith, Leia is safely ensconced on Alderaan, following in Organa’s footsteps to become a spy for the Rebel Alliance. But that’s only as far as we know, and we welcome Obi-Wan Kenobi changing that humdrum origin story. The trailer’s look at young Luke miming his fighter pilot moves was heartwarming enough. Wouldn’t it be even better to see a precious, precocious Leia, braided space-buns and all? [Jack Smart]

5. Will The Clone Wars’ Satine Kryze make an appearance? (And could she please be played by Nicole Kidman?)

We’d be genuinely shocked if Obi-Wan Kenobi released six episodes without giving McGregor a love interest. He’s simply too dreamy. Luckily, there’s the perfect candidate waiting in the wings of The Clones Wars. Duchess Satine Kryze (voiced by Anna Graves) gets introduced in episode two of the series and plays a pivotal role in Obi-Wan’s story. After being fatally wounded by Darth Maul (voiced by Sam Witwer) in an act of revenge, Satine dies in Obi-Wan’s arms, tearfully saying, “I’ve loved you always.” Satine’s agonizing death gives Obi-Wan some essential emotional backstory that we don’t want to see overridden by the new series. That said, we would love at least a flashback bringing Satine to live-action life.And who should play the pacifistic royal? For musical fans, the obvious—and perfect—choice is Nicole Kidman. The actor famously played another Satine opposite McGregor in the intoxicatingly romantic Moulin Rouge! and, while the repeat naming is totally coincidental per The Clone Wars’ creatives, fans have been rightly dream-casting Kidman in the part for years. [Alison Foreman]

6. How does Kumail Nanjiani’s con-man “Haja” factor in?

Is there anything more delicious, as a fan, than piecing together clues about a highly anticipated project like Obi-Wan? We’re in that sweet spot where details are emerging with just enough information to tantalize, but not enough to spoil the plot. Anyway, Kumail Nanjiani’s character, the mysterious Haja, is one such detail; the actor a “street-level con-man guy who then gets embroiled in stuff.” Haja (a sufficiently Star Wars-ian name) lives on the planet Daiyu (ditto), where he has a run-in with Obi-Wan that surely leads to the aforementioned embroilment. As for the “stuff,” his role in this tale is anyone’s guess. [Jack Smart]

7. When does the Obi-Wan Kenobi story stop?

We know Obi-Wan Kenobi starts in 9 BBY, just under a decade before the events of A New Hope will reshape the galaxy forever. But when is this six-part saga going to end? How much times passes over the course of Obi-Wan’s new-to-us adventure is a critical factoid, not only because that pacing will shape the most basic elements of the series, but because it changes which characters are and aren’t likely to make surprise appearances. For example: If Obi-Wan Kenobi steadily inches toward the events of the original trilogy, then that means it’s also inching toward and all the characters therein. Yes, the galaxy is vast and maybe having Obi-Wan run into Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) would be unbelievably coincidental. But with a timeline this complex and the hero within reach, a fangirl can dream. [Alison Foreman]

8. Will there be crossover with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order or Solo: A Star Wars Story?

Also happening around this time in the Stars Wars universe are the events of the video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (14 BBY) and (10 BBY). We’re not betting on seeing Alden Ehrenreich reprise his Han Solo—in large part because Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy . But seeing Emilia Clarke’s Qi’ra doesn’t feel out of the question. We could also see Fallen Order protagonist Cal Kestis, who has the voice and likeness of Shameless’ Cameron Monaghan, make his live-action debut. [Alison Foreman]

9. Are they going to explain why everyone on Tatooine wears Jedi garb?

The desert humans of Tatooine have a strange sense of fashion. Essentially, they dress exactly the same as the ancient order of space priests that supposedly went extinct in a galaxy far, far away. So why the hell does Uncle Owen dress like a Jedi? Why does Luke, who is supposed to be ignorant to his father’s crimes, dress like his father? Did Qui Gon Jinn bring it back to Coruscant after cheating his way into winning a human child in a game of chance? So long as we’re back in prequel territory for the Star Wars world, it would be great to have answers like this, instead of, say, learning how Obi-Wan came to be called “Old Ben,” which—considering how Star Wars shows have gone—we can confidently assume will be a three-episode arc on the show. [Matt Schimkowitz]

10. Is Jar Jar Binks really not getting an Obi-Wan cameo?

Jar Jar Binks may not be Star Wars’ most beloved character, but to have a prequel-related spinoff without the hapless Gungan is just plain wrong. Voice actor Ahmed Best has . But in the age of Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s hard to believe any actor when they deny the existence of a perfect cameo performance. Plus, even if Best didn’t get to lend his voice to the character again (which would be a shame!), Jar Jar isn’t precluded for stumbling around in a background or two. [Alison Foreman]