Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 2 is reportedly in development at Lucasfilm, but it won’t be able to undo the Star Wars series’ biggest oversight. “Who’s the more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?”
No franchise is immune to making a mistake, but Star Wars has made a lot of them: the notorious, now-affectionately remembered Holiday Special, Attack of the Clones (not one thing, just the whole film), retconning Rey’s junk trader origins, “Somehow… Palpatine returned”, and the revival of all sorts of deep-cut lore from Dave Filoni’s animated universe.
Ever since The Force Awakens (a wonderful quasi-remake of A New Hope), the Force has been off-balance, with exceptions (the first season of The Mandalorian and the undeniable oomph of Andor, one of 2025’s best TV shows) failing to overcome division, toxicity, and a nagging sense that one of the world’s biggest franchises has become… niche.
Except, there was an idea that could have brought people together. A guaranteed money-maker that could have been a momentous big-screen event – and they turned it into a Disney Plus show, leaving the Force in darkness.
Obi-Wan Kenobi should have been a movie
The pitch for Obi-Wan Kenobi is tantalizing, even if you’re a casual Star Wars enjoyer.
It chronicles what happened to Obi-Wan after Revenge of the Sith, following him as he watches over young Luke, goes on an adventure with Leia, and – above all else – faces off against his former apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, now terrorizing the galaxy far, far away as Darth Vader.
It wasn’t a bad show by any stretch. The tension between Obi-Wan and Vader was palpable, their first reunion with Obi-Wan being dragged across fire was gnarly, Vader stopping a starship in mid-air Force Unleashed-style was hard, and it was a satisfying story by the end.
And yet, it still felt muddled (Reva Sevander’s Order 66 survivor was a superb inclusion, but didn’t gel with the script), and the production values were a bit choppy; that final duel with Obi-Wan and Anakin, dialogue aside, is embarrassing in hindsight.
Now, Season 2 is reportedly in the works (as per insider Daniel Richtman). Who knows what will happen in it if it comes to fruition; will he continue to see Qui-Gon Jinn’s Force ghost, will he meet Darth Vader again, will it involve Luke before they meet in A New Hope, and could it include Ahsoka Tano? None of that is anywhere near as compelling as the conflict at the heart of the first season – and that’s exactly the point.
LucasfilmThe prequels, once polarizing and even reviled, have been embraced in recent years, both by older apologists with newfound affection for George Lucas’ films and the youth who grew up with them.
Look at what happened with Revenge of the Sith earlier this year: its 20th anniversary re-release made over $55 million worldwide, cinemas produced limited-edition merch and popcorn buckets, and for a brief time, the fandom felt united again.
Disney and Lucasfilm had a near-guaranteed box office hit on the table if they turned Obi-Wan Kenobi into a film instead of a TV show. It has a secret duel between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader – the movie sells itself! Also, despite its reported $25M-per-episode budget, it probably wouldn’t look so cheap and dull.
If you still aren’t convinced, consider the end of Rogue One with Darth Vader ruthlessly merking a group of Rebels. It’s one of the greatest scenes in Star Wars history – and Disney turned down the chance to have a movie full of that.
As Obi-Wan once said, “You’re going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.” My point of view is that not only nostalgia sells, but Lucasfilm’s early 2020s’ focus on Disney Plus (instead of repairing the damage caused by Rise of Skywalker) has left the studio in a difficult place when it comes to mounting a return to theaters.
If only they’d considered the easiest option available. “Dreams pass in time.”
In the meantime, keep tabs on the other upcoming Star Wars projects, including The Mandalorian and Grogu and Starfighter.
