When worlds collide. Marvel superhero Simu Liu recently met with a Star Wars Jedi Master and judging by the huge smile on the former’s face he was more than thrilled. Liu often feels very relatable to fans because his reactions to his rise through Hollywood feel just like how many of us would react to being in the same position, sheer enjoyment, and constant fanning over the other celebrities.
This time it was legendary Scottish actor, Ewan McGregor. Though the actor is known for several roles, including in Trainspotting and Moulin Rouge, most will recognize him for his role as Darth Vader’s former Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Liu tweeted an image of his meeting with the actor and used a very obvious yet classic quote like any good fanboy, “why hello there.”
Fans of the Star Wars franchise will have recently been reacquainted with these words at the end of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney Plus. The show is set almost a decade before the original trilogy, where fans were first introduced to the character of Old Ben, then played by Alec Guinness. Guinness first uttered, “hello there” upon meeting Luke and the droids R2-D2 and C3PO in the very first Star Wars film, A New Hope, and was the character’s first words.
However, it wasn’t until McGregor took over the role and uttered the same line in Revenge of the Sith that the short phrase was truly attached to the character, becoming an internet meme. Hearing them once again at the end of Obi-Wan Kenobi brings the character round full circle, perfectly mirroring the character’s intro on screen and into our hearts.
We are all very jealous of Liu, one for becoming a Marvel superhero, and two for getting to meet a true Jedi Master. But he is genuinely enjoying every moment of it and sharing it with us for all to see, so we’ll let him off the hook.
