A couple of days ago, the news broke that Ewan McGregor was in talks to reprise his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi for an upcoming Disney Plus show, and a quick scroll through social media should tell you that the fan response so far has been overwhelmingly positive.
Among the many tweets welcoming McGregor back to the franchise, you’ll even find a message from his old co-star Ahmed Best, who famously played Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. The actor shared an article from Variety reporting on McGregor’s return, along with the following comment:
“As well he should. Congrats my brother.”
While even the Prequel Trilogy’s many detractors will often have some kind words for McGregor’s take on Obi-Wan, Jar Jar has been the subject of more ridicule than perhaps any other character in the history of the franchise.
In a heartfelt social media post last year, Best recalled how the backlash got so bad that he considered suicide at the time. His sobering story was a cause for much reflection, and even The Force Awakens actor Simon Pegg admitted to feeling “so ashamed” about heaping so much derision on Jar Jar in the past. In a video released earlier this year, Best reflected further on his post, and said that he was touched by the warm response it received online.
As it stands, there’s not much we can say for sure about the Obi-Wan Kenobi show, though the rumor mill has already suggested that the Jedi himself may not be the only familiar character to make an appearance. In any case, here’s hoping that Disney can offer a few further clues at next weekend’s D23 Expo. After that, the Star Wars franchise kicks off its run of Disney Plus shows with the release of The Mandalorian on November 12th.
