Now that the show has been out in the wild for some time, more details are being unwrapped about the production process behind Obi-Wan Kenobi. And it’s becoming increasingly apparent just how much the show evolved to become what ultimately ended up on Disney+.
That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as pivoting from a film trilogy to a limited series will come with its fair share of story adjustments. That said, it’s been interesting to learn about just how wide the writers’ room went. We’ve heard everything from Commander Cody being Kenobi’s series wingman to Vader’s iconic rematch seeing the Dark side come out on top and even Reva facing a very different fate.
Ewan McGregor has added yet another detail to the mix, sharing that the original idea for the series had nothing to do with Princess Leia at all, but rather, focused on another one of Anakin and Padme’s children instead.
As reported by Comicbook.com, McGregor had this to say as part of a panel at Fan Expo Boston:
"It was going to be a story about me and Luke. It was always going to be that, and that was one of the genius moments where everyone went, ‘Wait a minute,’ and then changed it.”"
This plot certainly would have made a lot of sense. We know Obi-Wan was tasked with watching over Luke during his time on Tatooine, and I’m sure there is a story or two lying in that gap between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.
At the same time, it doesn’t sound particularly exciting story, either.
Undoubtedly, the Lars family kept a tight grip on Luke as he was practically lying in plain sight for the Empire to find. Leia, on the other hand, had a sense of freedom because of her seclusion on Aldeeran. Her natural curiosity expanded the story beyond Tatooine and forced Kenobi to tap into his old self along the way. At the same time, it established an alliance that the original trilogy introduced but never had a chance to explore.
Speaking of Tatooine, McGregor also spoke about what it was like to reunite with Liam Neeson. “Liam is a hero of mine,” McGregor said. “And so to get the chance to work with him and to have this great relationship that we got to create together is fantastic, and to get the chance to work with himself again on the series right at the end.”
Now, a story about Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon’s spiritual journey to rediscovering what it means to be a Jedi is something I could get behind. That’s just one of the many options fans can ponder as momentum for Kenobi season two gains even more steam. Whether it happens or not, one thing is for sure, Lucasfilm is not running short of ideas.