Ewan McGregor Says This Version of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Is ‘Different’ Than What Fans Have Seen Before

Of all the long-awaited spin-offs in the Star Wars universe, few hold a candle to Obi-Wan Kenobi. Not long after George Lucas finished his prequel trilogy—The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith—fans already started clamoring for some sort of movie focused on the master Jedi’s adventures between the end of those prequels and his eventual reappearance in A New Hope. Now, nearly 20 years after Revenge of the Sith, fans will get their wish, as the six-part Disney+ series—aptly named Obi-Wan Kenobi—will see actor Ewan McGregor return to the role. 

While the series hit a few different speed humps along the way, audiences won’t have to wait much longer to see what exactly it is Obi-Wan got up to in those intervening years. Part of that involves ducking the dreaded Jedi-hunting Inquisitors and, perhaps, a battle with his former apprentice Anakin Skywalker—who now goes by Darth Vader. Obi-Wan is changed, too, as this dark period in Star Wars history sees Obi-Wan without his trademark wit and Errol Flynn-like swashbuckling attitude. 

It’s a different side of the character and one McGregor seemed excited to dig into when he sat down for a junket interview with Complex recently. Ahead of Kenobi’s premiere, we spoke with the actor about what he loved about director Deborah Chow’s vision for the story, where the character is during these dark days, and more.