Ewan McGregor says most Obi-Wan Kenobi fan theories are dead wrong. Following his iconic portrayal by Sir Alec Guinness in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, for which he received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nod, McGregor took over the role of Obi-Wan for the prequel trilogy and his version of the character managed to become equally beloved. After years of uncertainty regarding McGregor's return as the Jedi master and whether it would be in a spinoff film or limited series, the Disney+ Obi-Wan Kenobi show was finally announced in 2019.
McGregor leads the cast of Obi-Wan Kenobi alongside Hayden Christensen making his anticipated return as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse also reprise their roles from the prequel trilogy as Owen and Beru Lars. Written by Joby Harold and directed by Deborah Chow, the limited series is set 10 years after Revenge of the Sith and finds Obi-Wan watching over a young Luke Skywalker on Tatooine while being hunted by several Inquisitors. While Obi-Wan Kenobi has received two trailers so far, much about the series is still unknown.
Talking to the Associated Press at an event in London, McGregor shared his thoughts on Disney and Lucasfilm's intense secrecy surrounding Obi-Wan Kenobi, which the actor thinks improves the viewing experience for fans. But with the trailers providing such little information to work with, fans are left grasping at straws in order to cook up theories about the show. McGregor admits to looking at many of these theories, reactions, and trailer breakdowns online, which he says mainly miss the mark. Read what he shared below:
I like to look on people’s reaction to the trailers, the teaser trailer and then the real trailer. And there are all these people that like break it down and are telling their audience what the series is about. And, you know, mainly they’re wrong. So, that’s quite funny to watch.
The fact that McGregor browses the internet in search of fan reactions to Obi-Wan Kenobi trailers (and laughs at them) is certainly an interesting revelation. Other than a beloved fixture of the franchise, McGregor is an unabashed Star Wars fan at heart. He recently watched the entire Skywalker Saga in preparation for his return as Obi-Wan and offered a passionate defense of the frequently-maligned prequel trilogy. McGregor's connections to the franchise also run deep, as his uncle Denis Lawson appeared in the original trilogy as the rebel pilot Wedge Antilles.
McGregor's comment seems to suggest that even audiences' surface-level assumptions about the upcoming show are wrong, such as the Inquisitors hunting Kenobi. Instead, maybe their primary target is someone else, another Jedi who survived Order 66. In terms of fan theories, Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn showing up as a force ghost has been a prevalent prediction. Perhaps McGregor deeming most theories incorrect is just an attempt to throw fans off the scent, given how much he values secrecy. Only time will tell as Obi-Wan Kenobi begins streaming on May 27.
Source: AP/YouTube