Obi-Wan Kenobi was once going to be a movie, but with Disney eager to bolster its streaming offerings, it eventually became a six-episode TV series.
Despite some divisive elements, the show was a hit and successfully filled in the gap between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Lucasfilm even found a way to give us not one, but two Obi-Wan vs. Darth Vader lightsaber battles, resulting in the now-iconic scene where we caught a glimpse of Anakin Skywalker beneath the Sith Lord's helmet.
When the series started, "Ben" was still on Tatooine, cut off from the Force and living a miserable existence while watching over Luke Skywalker and dealing with PTSD after the Jedi Order's fall in Episode III.
That was pretty dark, but it could have been darker.
"The first episode used to start with me as a waiter in a bar," McGregor recalls in the video below (via SFFGazette.com). "You know, like he's really lost his way, Obi-Wan. He's working in a bar, he's drinking too much, I get beaten up. People are kicking me, and I'm just like taking it, and then stalking out, you know, into the night."
"I mean, that was our first ideas anyway. There was a draft where that's how it started."
"We were talking about a movie at that point, not a TV series," the actor adds, suggesting this was an idea considered before the transition from theatrical to streaming. "Disney+ wasn’t there yet. I said, 'All I can see is him broken after some time after 'Episode III,' and he’s in a really dark place.'"
This would have been a fascinating place to find Obi-Wan, though what we got in the show had the same effect for the most part. Ultimately, the moment he embraced the Force again remains a triumph and a scene that set the stage for the Ben we met in A New Hope.
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy has made it clear there are no current plans for a second season, likely in an effort to temper expectations. However, Star Wars remains a big draw on Disney+ and McGregor remains keen, so even with the streamer looking to curb spending, another batch of episodes would surely be a worthwhile expense.
Alternatively, a movie might be fun, but Obi-Wan Kenobi ended in a somewhat definitive fashion and it would be a shame to tell another story just for the sake of it. However, if they can find the right tale to tell, that would be no bad thing.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below and watch the full interview in the video below.