Obi-Wan Kenobi director Deborah Chow explains Darth Vader's return in the upcoming Disney+ series. Chow first joined Star Wars on The Mandalorian season 1, directing two episodes of that series. Lucasfilm was so impressed with her work in that short time that she was brought back to direct all six episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, which were written by Joby Harold (Army of the Dead). The highly anticipated series is now one month out, premiering on the 45th anniversary of A New Hope's release, May 25.

First and foremost, the series will see the return of Ewan McGregor as the titular Jedi Master. Set 10 years after Order 66, Obi-Wan now lives on Tatooine and watches over a young Luke Skywalker on the Lars Homestead, where he is raised by Owen (Joel Edgerton) and Beru Lars (Bonnie Piesse). Also returning from the prequel trilogy is Hayden Christensen, who played Obi-Wan's former Padawan-turned-Sith Lord Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. However, many questions still remain about the iconic villain's return.

Related: Obi-Wan Kenobi's New Villain Explains His Darth Vader Rematch

During a discussion with Entertainment Weekly, Chow explained what went into the decision to bring back the Dark Lord. Though there were a lot of differing opinions on the matter in Obi-Wan's writer's room, the limited series format ultimately presented the perfect opportunity to tell a "character-based and character-driven" story for Vader, which Chow thought was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Read what she had to say below:

Honestly, for me the starting place was that I really wanted to do something that was character-based and character-driven, because that is the benefit of the limited series, is that you have more time to sort of tell a real character story. And so for me, the starting place of character is you just start and you look at who has been important to him in his life. And it's quite hard to avoid Anakin/Vader in that scenario, especially coming out of Revenge of the Sith.

So really it came out of an evolution of the character for me. It wasn't just to sort of bring him back. It was really like, who means something and where are we at this point in the timeline with Vader?

Obi-Wan Sees Darth Vader for Kenobi

Chow went on to discuss what audiences can expect to see from Vader in the Obi-Wan series, which picks up a decade after he donned the black armor for the first time at the end of Revenge of the Sith. While he is still coming into his own as a Sith Lord and hasn't quite reached his New Hope form yet, Vader will still be a formidable force to be reckoned with. The decision to bring back Vader did not come lightly either, as reports have revealed that Darth Maul was originally planned to appear in his place.

Still, much about Vader's involvement in the series is unclear as he was absent from the Obi-Wan trailer, with only his labored breathing being heard. While Lucasfilm is very likely hiding the full extent of Vader's involvement, the show's various Inquisitors took center stage in the trailer, suggesting they will be the primary villains. Only time will tell as Obi-Wan Kenobi gears up for its premiere and gets underway next month.

Next: All Star Wars Villains Confirmed For Obi-Wan Kenobi Show

Source: EW

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