Disney+ has finally revealed the Obi-Wan Kenobi TV show’s release date and it's a bigger deal than one might think as it's the real Star Wars Day. Following The Book of Boba Fett’s season 1 finale, Obi-Wan Kenobi is the next significant Star Wars project releasing on Disney+. Not only is the series going back to a lesser-explored timeline in Star Wars history, but Obi-Wan Kenobi also features Star Wars prequel trilogy actors Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen reprising their respective roles of Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Disney+ has released very few details of the upcoming series, but has now dropped its official premiere date for May 25, 2022, which has an incredible significance in Star Wars history.
While many believed November’s Disney+ Day would finally reveal the release date of Obi-Wan Kenobi, which is arguably the most highly anticipated upcoming Star Wars project, there was no such luck. Disney+ later announced that Ewan McGregor’s Kenobi series would premiere in May 2022, leading many to speculate its true release date to be May 4th, a.k.a. the official annual Star Wars Day due to "May the fourth" being a play on the words of “may the Force be with you.” Obi-Wan Kenobi won’t be arriving on the fandom’s celebratory Star Wars Day, but its official release date is even better.
Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 1 will be released on May 25, 2022, which is an extremely important date for the Star Wars franchise. May 25, 1977 was the date when the original Star Wars movie, now referred to as Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, was released in theaters. That means Kenobi’s release date is the 45th anniversary of George Lucas’ original Star Wars film, which is not only special for the entire franchise, but also for the character of Obi-Wan himself. Obi-Wan/Ben Kenobi made his first Star Wars appearance in 1977’s A New Hope, which means both the date of its premiere and subject matter of the series are bringing the character back to the roots of his timeline.
The 2022 Star Wars TV show will follow Obi-Wan in the time that he lives in exile on Tatooine, which begins 10 years after he gives infant Luke Skywalker to Owen and Beru Lars and nine years before he reconnects with Luke to battle Darth Vader to the death. Obi-Wan Kenobi’s character has never been sufficiently explored on-screen during this timeline, which means the Disney+ series gives a more holistic look at how he grew from the incredible Jedi Master in Revenge of the Sith to Tatooine’s notable old hermit Ben. Since the TV show will finally give an in-depth look at Obi-Wan Kenobi's Tatooine timeline, it’s fitting that the release date of May 25th matches the day of his on-screen debut as well as the plot aligning with the subject matter of his Star Wars origin.
This is similar to the circumstances of Solo: A Star Wars Story premiering on May 25, 2018. That film aptly returned Han Solo to his roots on the anniversary of when he first appeared in the original 1977 film. Considering Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan portrayal is more likely to revert viewers to the late-’90s and early-00’s era when May the 4th’s celebration became more popular, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s May 25th release date will be an even better celebration of the franchise’s real Star Wars Day.
