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First-look Obi-Wan photos tease an off-world mission for the lone Jedi

Star Wars’ Ewan McGregor is being chased by Inquisitors

Matt Kennedy / Lucasfilm Ltd.
Matt Patches is an executive editor at Polygon. He has over 15 years of experience reporting on movies and TV, and reviewing pop culture.

Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan is back, 17 years after last suiting up in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.

But the new series Obi-Wan, due in May, will act as more than a sequel to the trilogy-capper — in the years between live-action prequels and Lucasfilm’s new wave of Star Wars stories, George Lucas’ TV heir Dave Filoni has been carving out deeper stories for ol’ Ben, Anakin Skywalker, and a host of new characters in the episodes of The Clone Wars and Rebels. There’s a deeper Star Wars history and mythology going into Obi-Wan than most casual Star Wars fans may realize, and it’s already apparent from the first batch of stills of the series, dropped this morning by Entertainment Weekly.

We know little about Obi-Wan besides the fact that McGregor’s Obi-Wan is in it, Hayden Christensen returns, somehow, as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, and that there are a bunch of likable actors showing up as costars, including Kumail Nanjiami (Eternals) and Maya Erskine (Pen15). But two things immediately stand out in this reserved-but-revealing new look at the series, which was written by Joby Harold (Army of the Dead) and directed by Deborah Chow (The Mandalorian).

The first should please anyone who felt stuck in the sand during The Book of Boba Fett earlier this year: Obi-Wan is getting off Tatooine. EW spoke to Harold about the new location, Daiyu, which the writer said has “a Hong Kong feel to it, ... It’s got a graffiti-ridden nightlife, and is kind of edgy. It’s just got a different lane and a different feeling.”

Obi-Wan on Daiyu Photo: Matt Kennedy / Lucasfilm Ltd.

The new batch of photos also introduces Reva, played by Moses Ingram of The Queen Gambit. Reva is the first live-action Inquisitor we’ve seen in the Star Wars universe, but fans of Filoni’s animated series should know just what her presence means for our hero. To put it simply for people catching up: She wants to kill Jedi. And Obi-Wan’s a Jedi.

Reva standing on Daiyu in Obi-Wan 2022 Image: Lucasfilm Ltd.

What is Obi-Wan on the hunt for? There are some massive rumors floating around the internet, connecting the plot of the series to some classic character arcs — but nothing we’ll spoil here. But clearly the budding Empire knows something about Anakin’s children, because Reva also shows up at Uncle Owen’s doorstep on Tatooine to inquire about ... something. Returning form the prequels is Joel Edgerton, who’s only become a massive star in the years since his Star Wars stint.

Uncle Owen and Reva face off in Obi-Wan 2022 Image: Lucasfilm Ltd.

Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres on Disney Plus on May 25. For more stills of the characters standing around looking curious, head to EW.com.

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