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Obi-Wan Kenobi series is to repay Star Wars fans’ passion for prequels: Ewan McGregor

Actor Ewan McGregor in his titular character in the
Actor Ewan McGregor in his titular character in the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" Star Wars miniseries. (SCREENSHOT: Disney+/YouTube)

SINGAPORE — With the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney Plus on Friday (27 May), actor Ewan McGregor, who plays one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history, hailed his starring role in the eponymous miniseries as an opportunity to repay the faith of Star Wars fans.

At a recent global media conference, McGregor said he had been asked the question on whether he would reprise the role of the Jedi Master many times in interviews.

The 51-year-old Scotsman, who also starred in the Star Wars prequels and is executive producer of “Obi-Wan Kenobi”, said it “means a lot” to him as he became more aware of the fondness of fans for Episodes I to III over the years.

This was in contrast to the initial period when the prequels were “not seemingly well received” at the time of their release as there was no social media then.

“So, gradually, I started realising that people really liked them and that they meant a lot to that generation. So that warmed my feelings about them, I guess, or my experience of being in the Star Wars world,” said McGregor, in response to a question about his return to the Star Wars galaxy.

“Star Wars fans are amazingly passionate and they’re probably some of the strongest fans in the world, you know, for anything. And so, to be able to give them something like this…is really exciting.”

“Obi-Wan Kenobi” tells the story of the Jedi Master 10 years after he fell out with his former padawan Anakin Skywalker following the latter’s defection to the Dark Side of the Force. The miniseries will focus on Obi-Wan Kenobi’s epic journey as he attempts to escape from the clutches of the Imperial Inquisitors.

McGregor said the miniseries is a transition from a decade when Obi-Wan Kenobi is not able to use the Force. “So, in a way, he’s lost his faith. It’s like somebody who’s stepped away from their religion or something.”

His co-star in the prequel trilogy, Hayden Christensen, will return as Darth Vader, this time reinforced by the Empire’s Inquisitor Reva, starring Moses Ingram.

At the conference, Ingram said she was most intrigued by the fervour of the subordinate of Darth Vader. “She’s really smart and she plays the offence and she’s always 10 steps ahead…she’s going to do everything she can to get the job done to the best of her ability.”

Moses Ingram as Inquisitor Reva in
Moses Ingram as Inquisitor Reva in "Obi-Wan Kenobi". (SCREENSHOT: Disney+/YouTube)

Deborah Chow, director and executive producer of the miniseries, said at the conference that she was excited about the opportunity to develop a character-driven story and give it more depth.

“The biggest thing we were looking is to respect the canon and respect what’s been done, but we also needed to have an original story…it was very exciting that we were bringing back two of these huge iconic characters (in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader) and telling a new story with them,” said Chow, who also previously directed the Star Wars series “The Mandalorian”.

Inevitably, McGregor was asked which is his favourite Star Wars movie or series. He revealed, “My favourite is A New Hope (Episode IV) just because it’s the one that changed my life in many ways. As a kid watching that movie and when I hear the words Star Wars, I always think of C3PO and R2D2 going through the desert and that’s the first image.”

#ObiWanKenobi, a limited series, starts streaming 27 May on #DisneyPlusSG

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