In addition to the upcoming continuing installments of Star Wars - Episode VII will kick off the reinvigorated film series - Lucasfilm will also be releasing three standalone spinoff movies to fill the time between official episodes. Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) and Josh Trank (Fantastic Four) have already been tapped to helm two of the spinoff films, the first of which is expected to premiere in 2016. According to rumors, these movies could revolve around Han Solo, Boba Fett, and/or an X-Wing squad.

However, another character that fans (and actor Ewan McGregor himself) hope to see lead his own spinoff film is Obi-Wan Kenobi. According to a new report, the popularity of the Jedi may have led to Lucasfilm developing his own spinoff.

A new report on Making Star Wars from their source close to the production on the new Star Wars movies claims Obi-Wan Kenobi will be the central figure of one of the franchise’s standalone films. Kenobi is one of the most popular Star Wars characters - he was recently voted the top character in the This Is Madness tournament, beating out Han Solo, Boba Fett, Yoda, and Darth Vader among others. Now, because of the popularity, Lucasfilm has reportedly begun the very early stages of production on an Obi-Wan movie.

Read the source’s full quote:

“I’ve heard from quite a few people now that an Obi-Wan Kenobi movie is in the works. For the spinoff movies they were initially going to stay away from any Jedi or Sith characters. But I’m hearing now that because of the popularity of Obi-Wan (fans recently voting for him on the official website, etc.) that an art team is now working with a writer on concepts for an Obi-Wan movie.”

Though it may come as a surprise that Obi-Wan Kenobi was voted the top character by fans, he’s certainly one of the more universal characters in the series, appearing in the original films, the Expanded Universe fiction, the prequels, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He’s an iconic figure to every generation of Star Wars fans.

Star Wras Episod VII - Ewan McGregor returning as Obi-Wan Kenobi Rumors

Additionally, as previously stated, an Obi-Wan Kenobi standalone film is one of the upcoming Star Wars movies we’d most like to see and there’s plenty of material to use as a jumping off point for the spinoff. An Obi-Wan film could delve into his early years or fill in the gap between episodes I - VI, such as his years in exile before A New Hope - Ewan McGregor, who portrayed the Jedi in the prequel movies, may return for Episode VII (if the rumor is to believed) and has said he’d like to do a spinoff film.

While there may be other characters that fans would like to see in their own standalone films, it’s no surprise Lucasfilm would begin production on an Obi-Wan Kenobi movie given the character’s popularity among fans and casual Star Wars viewers alike. However, considering the early nature of production on an Obi-Wan movie - if the rumor is true, that is - we’re still a long way off from seeing the finished product.

Star Wars: Episode VII premieres in theaters December 18th, 2015.

Source: Making Star Wars