Why we need an Obi-Wan Kenobi standalone movie

Photo Credit: Lucasfilm

4. There’s Precedent

Whether it be mingling with the locals on Tatooine, meditating to strengthen his connection to the Force, bulls-eying Womp rats, or practicing what he would one day say to the son of the man he left burning on a volcanic planet in front of the mirror, Obi-Wan must have been doing something interesting… right?

A standalone film could give us insight into how Kenobi spent those 20 years while Luke grew up.

Kenobi by John Jackson Miller, one of the most beloved books to come out before Disney acquired Lucasfilm. When the announcement of Lucasfilm’s purging of Expanded Universe material into the Legends vault from the canon archives, this book, sadly, went with it.

Without spoiling too much of the novel’s plot, Kenobi delves into Obi-Wan’s struggle to stop being “Obi-Wan” and become “Ben.” He ultimately gets dragged into a conflict between farmers on Tatooine and a clan of Tusken Raiders. Despite his mission of watching over Luke, Ben, because of his history as a Jedi, cannot turn a blind eye to those in need.

The plot of a Kenobi standalone film could completely divert from John Jackson Miller’s book. The point isn’t that a movie adaptation of Kenobi should be made. Rather, the success of Kenobi exhibits a demand for the character that would play well into audience reaction to his return to the silver screen.