Disney+ announces 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' cast, including Kumail Nanjiani and other 'Star Wars' prequel characters
- The series follows Ewan McGregor’s version of the character seen in the prequel films and will begin filming in April
- Spinoffs of ‘The Mandalorian’ will arrive at the end of 2021
Ewan McGregor will reprise his role as Obi-wan Kenobi in the new Disney+ series. Photo: EPAObi-Wan Kenobi will be seen with some familiar faces when he returns on Disney+.
The new Star Wars series, following Ewan McGregor’s version of young Obi-Wan first seen in the prequel films, announced Monday it will begin production in April and unveiled a large cast of beloved actors, including two other prequel characters making a come back.
As was already announced by Lucasfilm, Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, will reprise his role in the series. Also joining him will be Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse, who played Owen and Beru, Anakin’s step-brother and his wife who would go on to raise Luke Skywalker.
Piesse gained notoriety last year after appearing on HBO’s The Vow, the docuseries about alleged cult NXIVM. Piesse was one of the whistleblowers who worked with the documentarians to expose NXIVM.
Other cast members include Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma (Game of Thrones), Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton), Sung Kang (Han of Fast and Furious films), Moses Ingram (The Queen’s Gambit), Simone Kessell and Benny Safdie (co-director of Uncut Gems).
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The series takes place 10 years after Revenge of the Sith, “where Kenobi faced his greatest defeat, the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker turned evil Sith Lord Darth Vader,” according to a news release.
Obi-Wan is just one of many Star Wars series heading to Disney+ in the next few years.
Two spinoffs of Disney+’s biggest hit, The Mandalorian - Rangers of the New Republic and Ahsoka - are joining Disney+ for Christmas 2021. The Book of Boba Fett, teased at the end of Mandalorian Season 2, will also arrive on the streaming service in December 2021.
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And more Star Wars series are coming soon, including Andor, starring Diego Luna as the character he played in 2016’s Rogue One film. Justin Simien (Dear White People) is behind Lando, featuring the Lando Calrissian character from earlier films. And The Acolyte is also in the works from Leslye Headland (Russian Doll).
More Star Wars animated series, The Bad Batch and A Droid Story, are also in the works. And Star Wars: Visions is a series of short films.