So, will there be an Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2? That's the big question on the tips of the tongues of some of the folks who just finished the Obi-Wan Kenobi finale.
While I certainly entered this season with high expectations — I argued Obi-Wan
Kenobi needed to save the old Star Wars, and it did — I never expected to get a second season. But now the chatter about a potential Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 has risen to such a simmer that I can't exactly ignore it.
Neither can the people behind Obi-Wan, as Ewan McGregor will have to explain below. The star is one of the many people asked about the show, and gave a room full of fans reason to believe. So this is a perfect time to dive into the reasons why we didn't expect an Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2, the new rationale for that sequel season and why we at Tom's Guide don't expect to see such a show on Disney Plus (sorry).
So, grab your holsters, your dusty lightsabers and your friendly Lola droids, and let's talk all things Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2!
Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 wasn't supposed to happen
From the beginning, and at launch as well, the Obi-Wan Kenobi series was marketed and labeled as a "limited series." This phrase is somewhat self-explanatory, but let's break down its recent history.
Limited series is both a classification for awards and a demarcation that the studios and creators expect a series to be a contained story. For example, WandaVision season 2 always felt unlikely because it was originally submitted as a "limited series."
In an interview for Variety, WandaVision star Elizabeth Olsen told Kaley Cuoco "No. No. It’s definitely a limited series," when asked about a potential second season. Hilariously, Cuoco replied, "Limited series. Well, we said that too," which makes you wonder.
Obi-Wan Kenobi executive producer and Lucasfilm head honcho Kathleen Kennedy has confirmed this was the intent for Obi-Wan Kenobi as well. Talking to Entertainment Tonight, Kennedy stated: "Well, frankly, we did set out to do that as a limited series." And as I'll get to below, this was something that I could feel coming through the screen.
Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 could still happen
Hype for a potential Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 doesn't just come from the positive reception the show got. (I've heard people who say this new Star Wars show is better than The Mandalorian.) It also stems from statements from four of the biggest names connected to the show.
Ewan McGregor, Kenobi himself, told British GQ that he's interested in a second round, stating "I really hope we do another," and "If I could do one of these every now and again — I'd just be happy about it." And that makes sense, given how it was clear for audiences to see that the star was having fun making the show.
Then, at Celebrity Fan Fest, McGregor sent mixed signals, saying "There's no plan to make one yet, but I'm pretty sure they're just biding their time. Nobody's approached me yet."
Then Deborah Chow, the series' director who earned some time off, told RadioTimes.com that while the show was planned to be a standalone, "I mean, there are of course more stories that you could tell. There's obviously another 10 years before we get to A New Hope and with a character like Obi-Wan Kenobi, I think even just watching him ride across the sand sometimes is interesting. So, who knows? It's hard to say right now, but it was not the intention."
RadioTimes also quoted Hayden Christensen, who is also eager to continue. The actor said that while "it was definitely conceived as a standalone story ... I would love to continue with this character. You know, I think there's certainly more there to explore and I would be so excited to get to do so." He also added that he "would certainly be open to" appearing in Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2.
Lastly, let's go back to Kathleen Kennedy. Right after she said the above statement about the single-serving intent behind Obi-Wan Kenobi, she added, "But I think if there's huge engagement and people really want more Obi-Wan, we’ll certainly give that consideration because the fans, they speak to us."
And the early numbers would suggest that fan demand for Obi-Wan Kenobi is there. Disney told the press that Obi-Wan Kenobi was Disney Plus' most-watched premiere globally to date. This claim may sound a little stronger than it really is — not all Disney Plus shows began with 2 episodes — but it's still a sign that the Force is strong for this show.
Oh, and the latest bit of reason for hope for Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 is that the original screenwriter for the Obi-Wan Kenobi movie (yes, it was to be a movie before it became a show) said he originally pitched a trio of movies for Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Obi-Wan season 2 doesn't feel likely — here's why
Of course, beware Obi-Wan Kenobi spoilers beyond this point.
All that said, it doesn't feel like Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 will happen. Why's that? Let's pull another quote from Kennedy's Entertainment Tonight interview, where she said, "And if we feel like, 'OK, there’s a real reason to do this; it's answering the why then,' then we’ll do it."
And therein lies the big problem with delivering the next chapter of Obi-Wan's story. Sure, there's enough time in the Star Wars chronology, as Chow explained. It's just that I (and some of my fellow TG staffers) don't see a need or a reason for a continuation of the Obi-Wan Kenobi story.
After the events of the Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series, the Jedi master reached the emotional state he needed to following Anakin Skywalker's turn to the Dark Side in Episode III. The series began with Kenobi basically in a state of depression, it gave him the moments with Anakin he needed to move on and then his bond with Leia gave him his proverbial strength back.
For the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi between Episodes III and IV, there's little else to be told. No other real character beats missing. No unexplained stories.
Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 cast speculation
All that said, there's a lot of still-alive potential characters who we'd like to see come back in Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 (or another Star Wars project).
Here's the big list of still-alive characters who could come back for a second season.
- Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Vivien Lyra Blair as Princess Leia
- Hayden Christiansen as Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker
- Kumail Nanjiani as Haja Estree
- O'Shea Jackson Jr. as Roken
- Jimmy Smits as Bail Organa
- Maya Erskine as Sully
- Grant Feely as Luke Skywalker
- Rupert Friend as The Grand Inquisitor
- Sung Kang as Fifth Brother
- Moses Ingram as Reva Sevander
- Joel Edgerton as Owen Lars
- Bonnie Piesse as Beru Whitesun Lars
Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 potential storyline
Stuart Beattie, the aforementioned script-writer had told The Direct that his second Obi-Wan movie was all about how "Obi-Wan now has to come to terms with his own mortality," which would set things up "that moment comes up in [A New Hope], you understand. He's recognizing he's been on this journey already, and he's waiting for this moment, and that's how he's able to make it so easily. To do this [sacrifice], and die. So that to me was the second evolution, the second film, the second story. So for me, if I have anything to do with the second season of Obi Wan, that's the character evolution that I would take him on. That, to me, is really interesting. And like I said, universal."
The one way we could see an Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 happening is if it showed us more of The Path, the group that helped Jedi flee Order 66. Kumail Nanjiani's Haja Estree is a perfect addition to the Star Wars world. O'Shea Jackson Jr.'s Roken was one of our favorite characters of the entire Obi-Wan Kenobi series, and we'd like to see and hear more of Maya Erskine's Sully as well.
But that doesn't sound like an Obi-Wan Kenobi story, does it? You could fold the Jedi master into this story, especially since Grogu/Baby Yoda's whereabouts at this moment in the chronology aren't known. But Obi-Wan taking care of a small one feels a bit too much like a rehash and not a new story that needs to be told.
We also want more of Moses Ingram's Reva Sevander, but it's unclear how she and Obi-Wan's paths forward could be so interconnected as to merit a whole season of a show.
Why it's hard to predict an Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 release date
We love to try and predict when a new show or movie will come out, even if it hasn't been confirmed. Obi-Wan Kenobi took a while to make. It was originally seen as a film and got delayed when Lucasfilm reportedly didn't like the scripts. On top of that, filming was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since we can't guess how long it would take to write Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2, as well as pre-production work and so forth, we're hard-pressed to place a specific time for when this show could return.
If you only consider the window of when re-writes began until when production started, there was about a year from the start of production to its release.
Right now, we'd guess Obi-Wan Kenobi could come as late as Summer 2024. But that's not an estimate we'd bet on at all.
Next: One of our staffers argues that The Force is weak with Disney’s Star Wars but there's a way to fix it.
