Rumor has it Ewan McGregor is in talks to reprise his role as Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode VIII.
We heard his voice in Star Wars: The Force Awakens as a disembodied voice during Rey’s vision. Now, it sounds like we may see him in the flesh (or rather, ghost flesh) in Episode VIII (via Comicbook).
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Cover of Kenobi by John Jackson Miller
The rumor comes from Kristian Harloff of Collider. While he warns his followers we should take it with a grain of salt, it’s impossible to not get our hopes up.
Grain of salt: hearing that Ewan Mcgregor in talks to play Obi Force ghost in Episode 8.
— Kristian Harloff (@KristianHarloff) February 8, 2016
It makes sense for Obi Wan Kenobi to return in Force ghost form in Episode VIII. First of all, he’s made an appearance (physically or simply by voice) in every Star Wars saga film to date. Second, his voice is heard not once during Rey’s vision, but twice; in the first instance, Alec Guinness can be heard saying “Rey?”, while in the second, Ewan McGregor says, “These are your first steps.” The frequency of words spoken by Obi Wan (regardless of which version) over those from anyone else, such as Yoda, may be indicative he has a special connection to Rey.
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Whether that connection is familial (as in, she’s his granddaughter; an unlikely scenario, but fun to speculate on), or simply a result of his close association with both Anakin and Luke Skywalker (meaning Rey, too, is probably a Skywalker), or just his role in training the new hopes of the galaxy, it’s clear he’s just as an important of a figure in the Star Wars mythos as the Chosen One(s).