May the Fourth Be With You: Looking ahead to “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and other “Star Wars” happenings in May

Hello there! May is always an important month for “Star Wars” — what with May the Fourth having become an international “Star Wars” holiday and all — but this year brings even more to celebrate than normal. Most importantly, we are only a few mere weeks away from the debut of “Obi-Wan Kenobi” on Disney Plus!

Before we get to the new “Kenobi” series on May 27, there are a couple of other notable “Star Wars” events. For my fellow “Star Wars” action figure collectors, Hasbro is having a Fan First Wednesday event on May the Fourth, which will include some form of announcements and teases. How much will be announced is uncertain, because Star Wars Celebration, the franchise’s fan convention is set for later this month from May 26-29 in Anaheim, Calif.

Celebration had been scheduled for 2020, but was postponed due to the pandemic. The convention will include several panels, including some about Lucasfilm’s upcoming Disney Plus slate. Creatives from across the franchise’s platforms will also be making appearances for autographs and pictures and I’m sure there will be several surprises.

But the main event for May, certainly, will be the much-anticipated return of Ewan McGregor as legendary Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi in his own limited series on Disney Plus on May 27.

The series, which will debut with two episodes, is set 10 years after the events of “Revenge of the Sith” in “a time of darkness in the galaxy.” McGregor told Entertainment Weekly that at the beginning of the series Kenobi is “rather broken, and faithless, and beaten, somewhat given up.” And who could blame him after the death of his Master, his star-crossed love and of the very order to which he dedicated his life. Not to mention the fall of and subsequent duel with his brother-in-arms, Anakin Skywalker.

In addition to McGregor, Hayden Christensen will return as Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker, with a “rematch for the ages” being teased between the one-time master and apprentice. The series will also see the live-action introduction of the Grand Inquisitor from “Star Wars Rebels,” portrayed by Rupert Friend, a new inquisitor played by Moses Ingram, the return of Uncle Owen (Joel Edgerton) and Aunt Buru (Bonnie Piesse) as well as an as of yet unknown character played by Kumail Nanjiani. Plus, the trailer above, teases an appearance by a young boy with a great journey ahead of him.

Where the series is placed in the timeline could allow for several interesting potential cameos. Could Obi-Wan’s former grandpadawan Ashoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) cross paths with Kenobi? Could we see other characters from the excellent “Clone Wars” animated series, such as Clone Commander Cody, Captain Rex or even Lady Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff)? What about a potential appearance by Anakin and Padme’s other child, Princess Leia or her adopted father, Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits)? And then, of course, there is Kenobi’s great nemesis, Maul. Some of these are more likely than others, especially given events that will occur in the canonical future — for instance, I don’t think that it would make sense, nor does it sound likely, for Maul to make an appearance and once again be a thorn in Kenobi’s side.

Kenobi is one of the most important and beloved characters in the whole Star Wars saga. McGregor was universally considered one of the strong points of the at-times maligned prequels, although it should be noted that those movies have grown to be seen in a less harsh light by younger fans of the franchise (although part of that could be thanks to work done by Dave Filoni and others on “Clone Wars”). The limited series — which will feature six episodes and drop weekly on Wednesdays following the initial Friday drop on May 27 — will give fans an insight into the heretofore little-explored period between Episodes III and IV. Hopefully, it is strong with the force.

UPDATE: A new trailer was released this morning to celebrate May the Fourth!

If you have questions or just want to talk Star Wars, hit on me up on Twitter — my username is @a_silva32. May the Force be with you!