Bad News For Star Wars Fans Who Want Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 2
"Star Wars" fans have a bit of a good news/bad news situation to contend with today. The good news? It was confirmed that 2022's "Obi-Wan Kenobi" series is finally getting a 4K and Blu-ray release nearly two years after it finished its run on Disney+. Unfortunately, that very same physical media release has also quietly confirmed that the show is not getting a second season and is instead going to remain a limited series. That's not good news for those who wished to see Ewan McGregor suit up one more time as the beloved Jedi.
The upcoming Blu-ray release was announced alongside similar releases for Marvel's "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" and "Moon Knight," as well as the "Star Wars" series "Andor." All three of those shows were billed as "the complete first season" by Disney. "Obi-Wan Kenobi," on the other hand, will be released as "the complete series." That wording is pretty darn clear and doesn't leave a lot of room for interpretation.
It always appeared as though the show was being billed as more of a limited series by Disney and Lucasfilm, but McGregor, who had previously played the Jedi Knight in the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy, was eager to suit up again. "I'd be totally up for doing more," McGregor said of a possible "Obi-Wan Kenobi" season 2 just ahead of the show's premiere in 2022. He has said similar things in interviews since then as well, but Disney never confirmed anything, so it just seemed like wishful thinking.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was a one-and-done on Disney+
The live-action "Star Wars" show picked up 10 years after the events of "Revenge of the Sith," with Obi-Wan living a quiet life on Tatooine after the execution of the exceptionally violent Order 66. He hasn't used his Jedi powers in years, but is pulled out of retirement when a young Princess Leia is kidnapped. This mission ends up putting him squarely in the crosshairs of his former apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, who has now fully assumed his new role as Darth Vader.
McGregor had expressed a desire to reprise his role as Obi-Wan for years before the show was officially announced. Originally, it was conceived as a movie, not unlike "Solo: A Star Wars Story." The big difference is that it was envisioned as a potential "Star Wars" movie trilogy – not just a one-off. Then, after the success of "The Mandalorian," Lucasfilm pivoted to bring the story to the small screen, with Deborah Chow directing all six episodes. Hayden Christensen was brought back as Vader, Obi-Wan got to meet a young Leia, and the Inquisitors were brought to live-action. The series threw it all out there.
Because of that kitchen sink approach, a second season of the show might not make a lot of sense. It might run the risk of feeling weak in comparison, as far as the stakes are concerned. But nothing would prevent bringing McGregor back for a different show — or perhaps even a movie. It would almost certainly just be titled something different, which would still make "Obi-Wan Kenobi" a limited series. For now, fans need to be comfortable with the idea that this remains a one-and-done.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi" arrives on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on April 30, 2024.