Indira Varma Has Been Cast In 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' Series
Star Wars has been expanding on the live-action television front via the Disney+ streaming service. And perhaps the highest anticipated live-action series from the franchise that has yet to premiere is the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. The series starts filming late spring according to Ewan McGregor, who is reprising the role that he played (and made so meme-able) in the prequel trilogy. Not only that, but Hayden Christensen will be reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker turned Darth Vader. And if rumors that Temuera Morrison could be playing Commander Cody again are true (and he seems like he would probably be down for such a return, given how much fun he had playing Boba Fett on The Mandalorian), then this is sure to please fans who are very nostalgic for prequel era characters and actors.
But of course, there also have to be new faces playing new characters. Deadline has reported that actress Indira Varma has been cast in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. She is well known for portraying Safiya Masry in For Life and Ellaria Sand in Game of Thrones. In fact, she has worked with The Mandalorian actor Pedro Pascal on the latter series. So it would seem that Star Wars is continuing to pull talent from the hit HBO fantasy series.
As is tradition when it comes to casting, people are trying to guess what kind of role Varma might be playing. As The Direct suggests, perhaps she could be an Inquisitor, given that they are hunting down Jedi during the time period in which the TV series is set (about halfway between the formation of the Galactic Empire and the destruction of the first Death Star). Or perhaps she could simply be a local on Tatooine, given that much of the show is expected to take place there. Could she be an ally of Kenobi, or an enemy? Could she be a villager, or could she be a bounty hunter? Perhaps she could even be another Jedi who has survived Order 66. Such a role would keep viewers guessing as to whether or not she survives the series. And if Kenobi ends up going offworld for whatever reason, then the possibilities are endless. Some may consider it sacrilege for Kenobi to go offworld during this time period when he is supposed to be watching over Luke, but we know that Kenobi and Vader are having a rematch of sorts somehow. It is possible for such a choice to be written in a compelling way that would seem worth it.
One guess that I have thrown around is that Obi-Wan might return to Mandalore in this series, given that the book The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark said that he would be back as he departs during the Maul arc of The Clone Wars season 5. Perhaps Varma, like her Game of Thrones co-star Pedro Pascal, could be a Mandalorian. This could potentially open up the door for an older version of her character to appear in The Mandalorian. That is, assuming that they go this particular route.
Of course, this is all speculation. It is just about anyone's guess as to what role Indira Varma could be playing. The closer that we get to the series coming out, the closer we will get to finding out what kind of role she may have. Perhaps we may not even find out until we see her in whatever episode she may appear. Star Wars is pretty good at making memorable characters, so perhaps whatever character Indira Varma may portray will continue that trend.
Source(s): The Direct