Disney has had an uneven run with Star Wars, to say the least. Their sequel trilogy disappointed scores of fans for various reasons. At the very same time, the television shows and extended universe material they’ve released have been pretty great. The Mandalorian is obviously their stand-out entry, as it’s one of the best Star Wars properties ever, but The Bad Batch can hold its own, too.
Later this year The Book of Boba Fett will add to the ranks of Star Wars shows available on Disney Plus. Fans have high hopes for that show, but there’s another series featuring the long-awaited return of a past character that’s getting even more attention. Sometime in 2022, Disney will release Obi-Wan Kenobi, and one of the greatest Jedi of all time will return to Star Wars.
Obi-Wan Kenobi will pick up roughly ten years after the Star Wars prequels. Ewan McGregor will reprise his role as the titular Jedi master, who’s still recovering from the loss of his best friend and Jedi apprentice. Speaking of Anakin, Hayden Christensen will also be appearing in the series as the one and only Darth Vader. Deborah Chow will direct the show after previously directing The Mandalorian episodes “The Sin” and “The Reckoning”.
Despite being one of the most anticipated Star Wars shows on Disney’s packed slate, very little is known about Obi-Wan Kenobi. Disney seems to be putting plenty of effort into keeping details about the show top secret. Some set photos have teased the Empire’s involvement in the show’s plot, but everyone more or less knew that would be the case anyway.
One of the biggest questions looming over Obi-Wan Kenobi has to do with another character entirely. Will Qui-Gon Jinn make an appearance in the show? Qui-Gon, portrayed by Liam Neeson, showed up in only a single Star Wars film, but he instantly became a fan-favorite character. He trained Obi-Wan before his death at the end of The Phantom Menace. Many hope that he’ll make at least a brief appearance in the new show. However, a Qui-Gon appearance isn’t just unnecessary, it would actually be damaging to Obi-Wan Kenobi as a whole.
Not Your Story
Two routes lead to a Qui-Gon appearance in Obi-Wan Kenobi. The first is a flashback. Obi-Wan, living in a semi-self-imposed exile, could reflect back on his Jedi training and the adventures that he had with his master “back in the day”. The second is the incorporation of Force ghosts. While Obi-Wan deepens his connection to the Force through studying during his exile, he could come into contact with Qui-Gon’s ghost, which could help to teach him further.
At best, either option could give fans a look at an old favorite character without distracting too much from the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi. At worst, including Qui-Gon could completely derail forward progression in the show in the name of fan service. The simple truth is that Qui-Gon isn’t a necessary element for the coming story.
Qui-Gon has already served his purpose. He trained Obi-Wan, and his interactions with Obi-Wan in The Phantom Menace gave some insight into the latter’s character. Now, decades after Qui-Gon’s death, there’s nothing that the Jedi master can teach audiences about Obi-Wan, who is, after all, the main focus of the upcoming show. In Obi-Wan’s story, Qui-Gon is old news from a bygone era. The show should give Star Wars fans something new, not just another rehash of the past.
The Nostalgia Problem
Star Wars has a serious obsession with its own past. Unfortunately, that often means that films and shows are packed with unnecessary references, rehashes, and Easter eggs. It's one thing to tell a story that includes a fun nod to what's come before. It's another thing entirely to work a story around the inclusion of those nods. Disney has often overwhelmed Star Wars projects with needless fan service. That might have been the biggest problem with the conclusion to their sequel trilogy.
Usually, the unnecessary nods to the past are included because some percentage of audiences demand to see more of what they've already seen and more of what they already know they love. But audiences aren't creators for a reason. A show should tell a new story. It should make new fans by creating a world and characters that people love anew. If Disney focuses on that, fans will come along.
To a certain extent, Obi-Wan Kenobi is itself a big piece of fan service. Does there really need to be an entire television series focusing on the years between Obi-Wan's appearance in Revenge of the Sith and his arrival in A New Hope? Probably not. That said, the show can still be something great if it focuses on breaking new ground with its main character. To do that, Obi-Wan Kenobi should leave Qui-Gon Jinn in the past.