Kumail Nanjiani Says His OBI-WAN KENOBI Series Character Is a New Type of STAR WARS Character
Eternals star Kumail Nanjiani isn’t only going to be part of the Marvel universe, he’s also set to join the Star Wars universe as he’s going to be in Lucasfilm’s upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series. It’s pretty amazing and cool how this stand-up comedian is now a part of two of the biggest and most popular franchises in the world.
We don’t know much about about the new Obi-Wan series, let alone the character that Nanjiani is playing. But, in a recently interview with Rolling Stone, the actor shared some little details about what we can expect saying that we haven’t this is a new type of Star Wars character.
"My agents called me and it was the whole group of them that never call you. And I was like, 'OK, this is either amazing news or really awful news.' And they're like, 'They want you to play a part in Obi-Wan, and apparently it's substantial.' So then I talked to [director Deborah Chow] and we had a great conversation. And the character sounded awesome — I was so excited about this character. We haven't seen this exact thing in Star Wars yet. This is like a new version of a type of Star Wars character we've seen before."
Nanjiani goes on to talk about his initial conversation with director and showrunner Deborah Chow about the show and the opportunity to work with Ewan McGregor and the rest of the cast.
"And she was trying to sell me on it. And I was like, 'I was gonna do it before the conversation!' It was kind of perfect. Right after quarantine I got to do a job, in town, and it was in Star Wars. It was just the most joyful first job back possible. I didn't know how I could beat the experience I've had, which is a Marvel movie with Chloé Zhao, who is amazing, and maybe the greatest cast ever assembled, and then have Obi-Wan as the next thing, with another really fantastic cast. Ewan McGregor! Really? I don't know where I go from there. [Laughs.] And so I decided to walk into the middle of the woods.”
Obviously, McGregor isn’t going to spill the beans on any important details, but it’ll be exciting to see what kind of character he ends up playing. It’s also cool to see how grateful he is to be a part of the series and that he had fun shooting it.
The story begins 10 years after the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where Kenobi faced his greatest defeat, the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker turned evil Sith Lord Darth Vader.
The series also stars Hayden Christensen, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Moses Ingram, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, and Benny Safdie.
Hossein Amini (Drive, McMafia) and Joby Harold (John Wick 3, Awake, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword) wrote the show. Obi-Wan will arrive on Disney+ in 2022.