As they prepare to make their comeback to the “Star Wars” universe with the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series, Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen return to the criticisms of George Lucas’ prequel.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Return of the Jedi… and Darth Vader
Disney continues to explore the universe created by George Lucas on the small screen. After The Mandalorian and The Boba Fett Bookit’s the turn ofObi-Wan Kenobi to land on the studio’s streaming platform. A series of Star Wars is unprecedented in which Ewan McGregor again lends his features to the famous Jedi. And the actor is not the only one to return to this very distant galaxy.
The first images of the program reveal in particular the presence of Owen Lars, still played by Joel Edgerton, but especially of Darth Vader. Hayden Christensen slipped under the Sith Lord’s helmet and armor. If he does not appear in the trailer, the cult character revealed himself in a photograph published by Entertainment Weekly.
Rupert Friend, Kumail Nanjiani, Benny Safdie, Simone Kessell, O’Shea Jackson Jr., or Maya Erskine complete the cast of this series in which Obi-Wan Kenobi, secretly installed on Tatooine, watches over young Luke Skywalker from afar.
Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen reflect on the trilogy
After their final confrontation in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the SithDarth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi are therefore back, even if the father of Luke and Leia had made a short (and memorable) appearance in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. And the pressure must undoubtedly be heavy on the shoulders of their interpreters, who had to face a more than mixed reception of the trilogy.
During an interview for Entertainment Weekly, Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen spoke of the sometimes violent reviews of the three films, which they struggled to digest at the time. The first explained about it:
I found it quite hard. For them to be criticized so harshly, personally, it was quite difficult to manage. Besides, it was quite early in my career. I didn’t really know how to handle this.
Concurring, Hayden Christensen added:
When the films came out and the reviews were very critical, obviously it was difficult, because you care a lot about a project in which you have invested so much. So of course it is difficult.
Obi-Wan Kenobi will perhaps succeed in warding off the spell… Answer on Disney+ from May 25, 2022.
