So as pretty much everyone and their lightsaber wielding grandma knows at this point...a few years back, Disney purchased LucasFilm and as such, they're now going to be producing a fresh series of Star Wars movies, including this December's seventh Star Wars installment The Force Awakens. To coincide with these new movies, a series of Star Wars spin-offs are going to be released, referred to as "Star Wars Stories", focusing on self-contained adventures taking place in the ever expansive Star Wars universe.
Two of these spin-offs have already been announced. First we can expect Star Wars: Rogue One, a film detailing the rebel's initial attempt to steal the plan's for the first Death Star. Next, there's apparently going to be a spin-off following the exploits of a young Han Solo. Will this work? I don't know...just...just get the character to say "Never tell me the odds!" a few times for fan-service and cast Zack Efron in the role. Great.
Now Disney-Lucasfilm have announced their intention to make at least one more spin-off film, and according to several spurious reports that are a few months old now...the studios might just be considering making a film following Obi Wan Kenobi, specifically focusing on one of his adventures that occurred in the 19 year timegap between Revenge of the Sith and New Hope.
Whether those reports are true or not, this has always seemed like such a perfect (not to mention obvious) idea in my eyes, and not just because Obi-Wan Kenobi happens to be my favorite Star Wars character of all time.
As one of the very few actors in the frankly rubbish prequel films who seemed to actually be passionate about his character, I feel like Ewan McGregor totally deserves the chance to reprise the role of Obi-Wan in a passionately-directed, well-written science fiction movie, one perhaps that could focus on the Jedi Master's initial struggles to adjust to life as an exile whilst trying to over-come his guilt on account of inadvertently training one of the most legendary psychopath's in the galaxy. A film which would have the chance to explore the character with some degree of depth, whilst also getting to showcase Kenobi's trademark wit and uncorruptable decency.
As a film following Obi-Wan after his self imposed exiled on Tatooine, the story opportunities are pretty much endless too! You could do a hard-boiled Western Story set entirely on the desert planet, with Obi-Wan protecting a group of villagers from a band of mercenaries or something. Or maybe we could follow the Jedi Master reluctantly going off-planet for one last Galactic adventure (an idea that has been touched upon previously in the original EU Novels). Regardless of the story they might choose to go with, there's definitely a ridiculous amount of narrative potential there.
As one of the most iconic and widely quoted Star Wars characters of all time, Obi-Wan has probably appeared in more films, novelizations, television series and comic books than any other character. A recent Star Wars poll even had the guy voted by fans as the most popular Star Wars character of all time.
Hell, even Ewan McGregor has voiced his interest in reprising the role once more. And with ten years having passed since Revenge of the Sith was first made, he's even the perfect age for it!
Out of all the classic Star Wars characters Disney and Lucasfilm could choose to base a spn-off film around, I can't help but feel Obi Wan is by far the most deserving. They've got the right character, the right timeframe, the right actor...all they need to do now is push the button before it's too late.
Help us, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're our only hope.
