For those of us whose first exposure to the Star Wars saga was via the hotly anticipated prequels of the late 1990s and early 2000s, negotiating the gap between fond memories of lightsaber duels or epic space battles and the sour taste left by the prequel trilogy in general is, to put it mildly, a tall order.
True, all three prequel films had their moments. The opening sequence of Revenge of the Sith was breathtaking, Attack of the Clones' epic Jedi battle has few rivals, and the lightsaber truel between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul at the climax of The Phantom Menace has never been bettered. Whisper it quietly, but even Jar-Jar Binks, whose over-the-top character was universally reviled at the time, has found his advocates in the interim.
Nevertheless, all three films suffered from the plodding, unrealistic dialog (some of it so bad it has inspired memes), some gaping plot holes, overuse of CGI, a dreary emphasis on politics and world-building, and the need to crowbar the principals into their starting positions for A New Hope irrespective of the dramatic needs of the story.
But in the two decades since their inception, fans have found things to like about the prequels, one of the most notable being Ewan McGregor's amiable portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Now that Disney's new series centered on the venerable Jedi knight is about to drop – it premieres on May 25th – here's a potted guide to what it should (and shouldn't) aim for in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Don't Destroy the Mystique
It is an increasingly popular trend for sequels and prequels to seek out events and situations alluded to but not seen in earlier stories and present them on-screen on the pretext of giving fans what they want.
But as it turned out, fans don't always want that particular part of their universe of choice to be expanded. Solo provides an example. Contrary to expectations, fans were not "dying to see" Han Solo and his lovable crew of ragtag space adventurers fly the legendary Kessel Run because so much mystique had grown up around it that any attempt to show it on screen was all but certain to fail to live up to fans' expectations.
Similarly, though, "How are Bill and Ted doing in 2020?" may have sounded like a good pitch in the writers' room for Bill and Ted Face the Music, yet, in spite of some nifty performances (and a pitch-perfect Kid Cudi playing himself in a supporting role), it felt less like a triumphant return to San Dimas and more like the answer to a question nobody asked. The film unties the happy-ever-after – and nicely opaque – ending to Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey for no good reason.
Whichever course Obi-Wan Kenobi takes towards its subject matter, it would be as well to give the impulse to revisit the set-up in Star Wars: A New Hope a miss. For example, fans will remember the sequence in which a young Luke Skywalker is told by his uncle Owen that "Ben Kenobi" is a "crazy old man," the implication being that the two men have had dealings in the past. Leaving it at that is a wise move – the alternative is to expound on a dynamic fans have already speculated so much about. Revealing it on screen can only be a letdown.
Easy on the Flippy-Flips
While no-one relishes the thought of 1970s-style lightsaber duels – Alec Guinness' barely-choreographed lunges at Dave Prowse's Darth Vader in Star Wars: A New Hope got a pass at the time solely on account of the special effects – neither does anyone want to see the ceaseless bouncing about that characterized so many of the duels in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith (Yoda versus Count Dooku, anyone?). The sequel trilogy showed the way forward here, with a firm emphasis on clarity of movement rather than histrionics and acrobatics. Makers, take note.
Don't Allow Obi-Wan and Han Solo to Cross Paths
Seriously. It seems like an obvious thing to do – after all, we know that Han and Chewbacca are on Tatooine around the same time as Obi-Wan, engaged in shady deals with Jabba the Hutt. But as Jeff Goldblum would doubtless remind us, just because you could, it doesn't mean that you should. A little fan service is not worth the addition of yet another continuity headache to a franchise that is already chock-full of them.
In the meantime, speculation abounds as to the roles to be played by actors connected with the production, including names such as Rupert Friend (The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, The Death of Stalin), Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Patrick Melrose) and Maya Erskine (Heartbeat, BoJack Horseman) among others, with Fast and Furious star Sung Kang teasing a lightsaber battle involving his character late last year. Keep your eyes peeled for more revelations, intentional and unintentional, on social media in the coming weeks.