Aladdin Star Reportedly Eyed For Female Lead In Obi-Wan Kenobi
Disney Plus’ hotly anticipated limited series featuring the return of Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi starts shooting in a matter of months, meaning that the casting process is set to ramp up in the very near future. So far, the Scotsman is the only onscreen talent officially confirmed for the Star Wars show, although Hayden Christensen has been heavily rumored for a recurring role as Anakin Skywalker in flashbacks set during The Clone Wars.
Meanwhile, things have finally settled down on the creative side after the entire crew was sent home for the scripts to be reworked, with King Arthur: Legend of the Sword‘s Joby Harold replacing original writer Hossein Amini, although he remains onboard as an executive producer alongside The Mandalorian veteran Deborah Chow, who will direct all six episodes.
Now, the latest report claims that Obi-Wan Kenobi is zeroing in on a female lead, with Aladdin‘s Naomi Scott named as the frontrunner for a character that’s said to be named Riley. The 27 year-old actress is no stranger to big budget Disney productions having played Princess Jasmine in Guy Ritchie’s aforementioned live-action remake, and she’s more than familiar with effects-heavy action after also appearing in Power Rangers and Charlie’s Angels.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is rumored to be casting three other major roles as well, including a woman in her 30s named Tia, a man in his late 20s called Harold and Bella, a 40-something female. These are more than likely just temporary names to stop any details from leaking out, but it at least confirms that we shouldn’t be too far away from hearing some big news regarding the project, which Star Wars fans have been patiently waiting for since Revenge of the Sith faded to black fifteen years ago.
