What Are The Odds Of Getting Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 2?
This post contains major spoilers for the series (season?) finale of "Obi-Wan Kenobi."
After five surprisingly-short weeks, Ewan McGregor's return as Obi-Wan Kenobi has ended — and for most, it feels like things barely even got off the ground to begin with. As satisfying as the series has been for a lot of fans, it's failed to really capitalize on its own potential for others. However, the flurry of callbacks, Easter eggs, and cameos certainly made "Obi-Wan Kenobi" something to look forward to each week, and overall, the series has at least fulfilled its promise of shedding light on an unexplored (but oft-referenced) chapter in the titular Jedi's story. But can that really be the end?
It's hard to accept the "Kenobi" finale for what it is, especially with the arrival of Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), Kenobi's late master. Many assumed that Qui-Gon would play a pivotal role in the series, seeing that Kenobi was tasked with connecting with him at the end of "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith." Of course, "Kenobi" diverted from that objective in a major way by sending Obi-Wan on a very different mission — but said mission also helped him reconcile the guilt he's harbored over the fall of his padawan, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen).
"Kenobi" leaves Obi-Wan resolved with his past, and finally ready to learn the deeper ways of the Force from Qui-Gon. It's a great way to close out his arc — and leaves just enough to fans' imaginations — but it also might not be the last we see of McGregor and Neeson. Could "Obi-Wan Kenobi" find a way, somehow, to return, and finally make good on the story we've all been waiting for?
Return of the Jedi
It should comfort "Kenobi" fans to know that Ewan McGregor has been pretty forthright about his love for the series. The actor even told GQ that he'd be more than happy to continue Kenobi's adventures in the near future. "I really hope we do another," McGregor said. "If I could do one of these every now and again — I'd just be happy about it."
Not only is McGregor game, but so is Hayden Christensen. Whether he reprises his role as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in a Clones Wars-era flashback or two — or leads the charge in a Darth Vader spin-off series — there's "certainly more to explore," according to the actor. "There are so many other stories that have been told in these other mediums," Christensen told ET Canada, "and I would love to get to continue my journey with [Vader]."
And as far as Qui-Gon is concerned, Liam Neeson is certainly down. The actor has been popping up here and there all across "Star Wars" media for a few years now. He's set to lend his voice to the upcoming "Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi" series, and even before appearing as the famous Jedi Master in "Kenobi," Neeson had expressed a desire to reprise the role in live-action ... just not on TV.
Neeson confirmed that, if he were to return to "Star Wars" in a larger capacity, it'd have to be on the big screen. "I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to TV, I must admit," the actor explained. "I just like the big screen, you know?"
Unfinished business
So, could "Kenobi" have possibly laid the groundwork for a sequel on the big screen? There's certainly a desire to see "Star Wars" return to movies — in fact, the series was originally meant to be a film — but with mixed results from films like "Solo: A Star Wars Story" and the sequel trilogy, it doesn't seem like Lucasfilm is ready for that just yet. Not with the guaranteed success they've found on Disney+.
There's certainly a chance that "Kenobi" could get a second life on the streamer, but does it make sense for the narrative at large? Given how much the series borrowed from already existing "Star Wars" media — the animated series "Star Wars: Rebels" and the "Jedi: Fallen Order" video game, especially — it doesn't seem like there is a lot of new material for "Kenobi" to explore. At times, the series was a beat-for-beat retread of stories that most seasoned "Star Wars" fans are already familiar with. And while it did lay a few very interesting breadcrumbs for that same section of the fandom, the show failed to explore them for the most part.
A second season could give "Kenobi" a chance to redeem itself, but all those disparate threads could also make promising spin-offs of their own. It's not hard to pick out the few characters and storylines ripe for a bit more exploration, like Reva and the Inquisitors, Quinlan Vos, or even the Force-sensitive refugees that Kenobi encountered on Jabiim. Ultimately time will tell, but it's clear that we're living through a true "Star Wars" renaissance. Lucasfilm is apparently intent on exploring every corner of the "Star Wars" universe on Disney+, but whether those projects actually satisfy the fandom's narrative wishes is another question entirely.
All episodes of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" are now streaming on Disney+.