Obi-Wan Kenobi TV Show Delay: What’s REALLY Going On

The Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ TV series has been put on hold; just what’s really going on with the delayed Star Wars series? The troubled story of Ewan McGregor’s return to the galaxy far, far away begins back in 2012, when Disney purchased Lucasfilm. The House of Mouse intended to relaunch the Star Wars franchise with a sequel trilogy and a series of spinoffs. Although an Obi-Wan Kenobi movie was never officially confirmed, McGregor was happy to return, and in 2017 the project finally seemed to begin to build up momentum.

And then came Solo: A Star Wars Story, a movie that bombed dramatically in the box office, leading to Lucasfilm putting their entire anthology series on hold. With the new Disney+ streaming service now a corporate priority, the powers that be decided to transform the Kenobi project into a TV series. Ewan McGregor’s return was officially announced at D23 2019. Screenwriter Hossein Amini (Drive) and director Deborah Chow (The Mandalorian) were chosen to helm the series, and production was expected to begin later this year.

Unfortunately, over the last fortnight there have been rumors that Obi-Wan Kenobi is in trouble again, with some suggestions going as far to say it had been cancelled. While Disney declined to comment on those, on January 23 it was reported that the Obi-Wan series is being delayed. So, just what’s going on?

Why Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi TV Show Is Delayed

So far, all reports have agreed that the problem was with the scripts. With both The Mandalorian and the theatrical release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker now out of the way, Lucasfilm began to cast a critical eye to future projects, and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy was reportedly unimpressed when she read through the Kenobi show’s scripts. There were concerns that the story was too similar to The Mandalorian; apparently it involved Obi-Wan Kenobi serving as a protector for a young Luke, and possibly even a young Leia as well. That probably wouldn’t have been a major concern when the scripts were originally commissioned, but The Mandalorian had a cultural impact beyond anything even Disney could have expected. As a result, any similarities in plot would undoubtedly be called out.

This takes us to the heart of the problem with an Obi-Wan Kenobi series. If it’s set in the years between Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and the first Star Wars, then there are really only a relatively limited number of plots. Kenobi is under a self-imposed exile, and his sole character motivation is supposed to be his desire to keep watch over Luke Skywalker, who he considers to be the galaxy’s only hope. It seems Lucasfilm is reconsidering their entire approach, planning to cut the story down from six episodes to four. Chow is still on board to direct, but the studio is looking for a new writing team.

Obi-Wan TV Show Has Not Been Cancelled

It’s important to note that although the Obi-Wan Kenobi project has been delayed, it has not cancelled outright. In fact, while star Ewan McGregor confirmed the show’s delay, he also went to great lengths to stress that he doesn’t expect this to cause major problems down the line. “It’s just slid to next year, that’s all,” he observed. “Instead of shooting this August, they just want to start shooting in January, that’s all. Nothing more dramatic than that… It will have the same release date, I don’t think it will affect the release date. They’re still shooting towards having the [show] release when it was going to be originally.” McGregor is nothing but the consummate professional, but it’s worth noting that his comment is rather amusing; neither Lucasfilm nor Disney had ever announced a release date in the first place.

What The Delays Mean For The Obi-Wan TV Show & Star Wars

McGregor is right when he says that Star Wars fans shouldn’t start panicking anytime soon. In truth, it’s quite likely Lucasfilm decided to rework the Kenobi scripts because The Mandalorian has been such a success, and they realized they’d be accused of repeating the formula. And yet, unfortunately this news has to be placed in a troubled context of nonstop production delays at Lucasfilm, a constant stream of behind-the-scenes drama on every single project, and a severely divided fanbase. In his biography The Ride of a Lifetime, Disney CEO Bob Iger waxed lyrical about the MCU and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, discussing everything up to 2019’s Avengers: Endgame; when it came to Star Wars, he talked about the acquisition from Lucas in 2012, and the production and release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens three years later. He was notably silent when it came to offering any assessment of Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy herself. So the Kenobi delay, frankly, just adds to a narrative that Lucasfilm is struggling, and that Kennedy’s leadership is questionable.

It’s interesting to speculate how this will affect Disney+, which is currently quite dependent on Star Wars content. The Mandalorian was the most watched TV series in the US, but on the whole Disney+ is struggling to match that success. The streaming service is a major corporate priority for Disney, which means every decision Kathleen Kennedy and her team make that affects it will surely be put under the microscope. For now, though, Disney will probably be hoping that the wealth of impending MCU TV shows will fill any scheduling gaps caused by the Kenobi delay. Disney is helped by the fact it hasn’t announced many firm release dates, only recently confirming a precise date for The Clone Wars season 7; that means any changes will be made internally, and thus won’t be public knowledge.

As for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series itself? Presumably the show is going to change shape substantially, potentially even having its episode count cut by a third. While that may seem disappointing at first glance, it may actually be for the best; it’s surely better to have a tightly-paced narrative with no filler, rather than a series that – however eagerly anticipated – outstays its welcome. It will be interesting, though, to see if Lucasfilm can actually come up with a compelling and logical narrative that separates Obi-Wan Kenobi from his role as Luke Skywalker’s protector, while still fitting with the timeline.

About The Author

Thomas Bacon
(4909 Articles Published)

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

More From Thomas Bacon