Will Natalie Portman’s Padmé be in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series?

The Obi-Wan Kenobi series is set to debut on Disney+ in 2022. And Ewan McGregor will be triumphantly reprising his role as the titular Jedi character, in a return that’s bound to break the internet when we finally see him back at it again.

This series is set to pick up just 10 years after Revenge of the Sith, and so that means times have really changed since we last saw Obi-Wan in the movies. The Empire is now in control of the galaxy. And with the Jedi being executed for treason, any remaining Jedi (including Kenobi) must lie low and stay on the run to avoid the Empire’s ill-doings.

And speaking of the Empire, none other than Hayden Christensen himself will be back to reprise his role as Darth Vader. There’s no telling if we will have flashbacks in this series of him as Anakin Skywalker. But it seems like a sure bet that he will be back, fully as Vader this time. On top of that, we have returners like the actors who play Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru coming to the series. But will one more fan-favorite character from the prequel trilogy be in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series?

Is Padme in the Obi-Wan series?

We all grew to love Natalie Portman’s Padme in the prequel series. She was the object of Anakin’s affection, a bold senate member, and (as we learned in The Clone Wars) a fighter through and through. But will Portman be among the returners set to appear in Obi-Wan Kenobi?

Currently, there’s been no news that Portman will be a part of the Obi-Wan series. The reason may seem obvious to some: of course, during Revenge of the Sith, Padme dies after giving birth to Luke and Leia. And hence, there seems like there would be no reason for her to appear in the Obi-Wan series if her character passed 10 years ago.

But, there’s always the possibility of flashbacks. There may be a scene where Vader or Kenobi looks back on her fondly. Or, it’s quite possible, she could appear as an illusion to a disgruntled Vader. While she wouldn’t be able to become a Force ghost, we did see this happen in The Rise of Skywalker when the long-gone Han Solo appeared to Kylo Ren just as he was renouncing the Dark Side.

And so, as of now, it doesn’t seem like Portman will be in the series. But we all know by now that Star Wars always has tricks up its sleeve, so you can’t rule out her appearance entirely.