New and familiar faces are joining the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi show on Disney Plus, which is set to start production next month. We already know Hayden Christensen will return as Darth Vader alongside star Ewan McGregor as the middle-aged Jedi Master. They'll be joined by Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse, reprising their role as Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru from Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.
And that's not all: Disney revealed a slate of Star Wars newcomers are heading to the galaxy far, far away. They are Kumail Nanjiani, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Simone Kessell and Benny Safdie.
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Details are still unknown about the characters played by the new cast members. But fans are already excited by the inclusion of some of the more well-known actors, like Nanjiani (who is starring in another Disney film, Marvel's The Eternals, later this year).
Jackson is the son of Ice Cube and played his father in Straight Outta Compton, while Kang plays Han in the Fast and Furious franchise. Varma portrayed Ellaria Sand on Game of Thrones, and Friend is best known for Homeland and Young Victoria. Ingram appeared in Queen's Gambit, while Kessell has notched credits including Of Kings and Prophets. Safdie is an indie filmmaker who, along with brother Joshua, wrote and directed Uncut Gems.
The incredible cast includes Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell and Benny Safdie. pic.twitter.com/VltHs5Aw6rMarch 29, 2021
The Obi-Wan Kenobi series has been in the works for years. The project was first announced at the D23 Expo in 2019, but there were reports that Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy wasn't happy with early scripts.
But those issues were apparently ironed out and Kennedy highlighted Obi-Wan Kenobi during last December's Disney Investor Day. She revealed Christensen's return as Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader, following up on his previous appearances in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith (as well as a voice cameo in 2019's Rise of Skywalker).
Obi-Wan Kenobi comes from writer/director Deborah Chow, who has helmed two episodes of The Mandalorian.
Filming on Obi-Wan Kenobi kicks off in April. But with the amount of special effects that the show will likely need, we don't expect to see the first episode premiere until spring or summer 2022.
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