The Hollywood Reporter has a rumor roundup about the Obi-wan Kenobi Disney+ series headed our way. According to their Lucasfilm sources, Darth Maul (and thus actor Ray Parker) were cut out of the series after creative rewrites and Dave Filoni / Jon Favreau had criticisms. One of the more interesting points made in the article is that it was Filoni and Favreau doling out advice, with Kennedy only being a figurehead who pushes a pause button at their behest. There’s no recording whatsoever of Kennedy being part of the creative process.
Sources note that Filoni and Favreau were concerned about Obi-Wan covering similar ground as Mandalorian — the Lone Wolf and Cub-like story of Kenobi coming out of hiding to protect a child-aged Luke Skywalker. Maul was one of the villains who would participate in the hunt for the pair; Vader was nowhere to be found in this faraway galaxy at this stage, according to those with knowledge of the project. Also, Filoni and Favreau pushed Chow and the show to “go bigger,” according to several sources. In any case, those concerns made their way to Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy, who pressed the pause button. (Joby Harold was eventually hired as the show’s new writer.)
Another interesting tidbit in the article is the claim that a young Luke Skywalker role has either been cut from the series or radically reduced in scale.
Fans might have enjoyed seeing Darth Maul face off against Kenobi once more, but it seems that instead this is going to be a Grand Inquisitor and Darth Vader matchup. As I’ve said before, it seems that Diseny executives are feeling very confident about this series, a departure from The Book of Boba Fett that even saw its own star making criticisms during media rounds. And cutting major roles or stars from live action Star Wars series may not be a new thing… rumors have strongly pointed towards a late decision to cut a Han Solo cameo out of the Boba Fett finale.
So what does all of this mean for Kenobi and its potential? At this point there doesn’t seem to be any reason to think this will affect the quality of the show. There is still the ever-present worry that Lucasfilm and Disney have become so corrupted by ideology that they often produce drama that is less timeless and more contextual to the beliefs of certain demographics. However, a switch from Maul to Vader isn’t necessarily a bad thing… so long as they don’t screw up the backstory for A New Hope, the first Star Wars movie from George Lucas. I’m hopeful that Dave Filoni would be wise enough to step in if that were the case.
I’ll save my negativity for The Mandalorian Season 3, which I’m unfortunately hearing has been tasked with trying to reconcile the sequel trilogy with fans… and not in a way that makes Luke Skywalker having murderous thoughts towards his nephew any better. Sigh.
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