Our First Look At The Villains Of The ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Series
Filming has begun on the highly anticipated Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+. We know that the series will take place 10 years after Revenge of the Sith, and that Ewan McGregor will be reprising his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi, but little else up to this point. Recently, the first pictures have leaked of the actors walking on to the set, which has added speculation about the villains of the series.
The announced cast list of Obi-Wan Kenobi is already impressive. With Ewan McGregor returning, we will also see Hayden Christensen return as Darth Vader and even Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse as Owen and Beru Lars. The new actors to Star Wars include Maya Erskine (Pen15), Rupert Friend (Homeland), Moses Ingram (Queen’s Gambit), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton), Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley), Benny Sadfie (Uncut Gems), Sung Kang (Fast & Furious franchise), Simone Kessell (Reckoning), and Indira Varma (Game of Thrones).
There are some established names as well as some up and comers on the cast list. But for all the new Star Wars actors, we do not know yet what role they will be playing. IMDB lists all of the actors above (except for Indira Varma) in all 6 episodes. If this is correct, it will be a big departure from The Mandalorian’s episodic structure (especially Season 1) where Din Djarin meets a new character or two on a new planet each episode.
In looking at the leaked photos of the actors walking to set, we can start to see which actors may be playing villains. They tried to cover up with grey ponchos, but we can see glimpses of stormtroopers and Imperial officers. The only named cast member, other than Ewan Mcgregor, that could be recognized was Indira Varma. She appeared to be dressed as an Imperial officer, which would suggest that she would be playing a villain. Her outfit looked clean and pressed, which would suggest that she is not stationed on Tatooine, as many had guessed the majority of the series would take place. While the photo of her and the stormtrooper is only a brief sneak peek, the styling would suggest that they are on a ship or another planet. In previous scenes on Tatooine, the Empire would use sandtroopers rather than stormtroopers and the officer’s uniform would be incredibly hot under Tatooine’s two suns.
It makes sense that the Empire will have a big presence in the series. At this time in the Star Wars timeline, the Republic has turned into the Empire with the Emperor in control. The Galactic Senate is still in place, as it is not dissolved until the beginning of A New Hope when the Empire has the threat of the Death Star to keep planets and systems in check. The Rebellion is in its infancy, if that. Luke Skywalker will be 10 years old and the events on Scarif from Rogue One, leading up to A New Hope, will still be 9 years in the future.
We know Obi-Wan is likely based in Tatooine, as that is where we last saw him in Revenge of the Sith, where we first see him in A New Hope, and where Luke Skywalker grows up. Tatooine is in the remote outer rim and a hub to “scum and villainy.” The Empire will have a presence there, but probably a small detachment in big cities at most. There are Imperials on Tatooine in A New Hope, but they appear after tracking C-3PO and R2-D2’s escape pod down to the planet. The troops will probably have come from Vader’s capital ship.
An Obi-Wan Kenobi villain discussion cannot be complete without talking about his master/nemesis/"brother" Darth Vader. Vader must know that Obi-Wan is alive after their duel on Mustafar. Obi-Wan also relocates to Anakin’s home planet and even leaves baby Luke with his family. Vader can sense Obi-Wan on the Death Star and force choke his subordinates, so his injuries and robotic implants do not affect his ability to use the Force. Perhaps Vader just avoids Tatooine due to unhappy memories of his mother dying and his hatred of sand?
With Hayden Christensen confirmed for the series, it will be interesting to see how we see Darth Vader. One can speculate that Christensen will appear in pre-Mustafar duel flashback scenes, as we can more easily (and cheaply) have a David Prowse/James Earl Jones situation (different physical actor/voice actor) if we only see Vader in his trademark suit. Due to the close and intense relationship between Obi-Wan and Vader/Anakin, and lack of knowledge about what both were doing during this time period, many people are itching to see their interaction.
Obi-Wan Kenobi has the potential to unlock so many mysteries that we have been wondering about in the time between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The villains will be a huge part of the show and draw a great amount of interest. With an anticipated release of early 2022, we still have plenty of time to speculate.
Source: Den of Geek