Star Wars Officially Comments On Kenobi/Mandalorian Crossover Theories

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy addresses the potential of a crossover between The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Following the controversial sequel trilogy which had many fans feeling unsure about the new direction of the franchise under Disney, Jon Favreau reinvigorated the Star Wars brand with The Mandalorian, which premiered with the launch of Disney+ in 2019. Its two seasons of success have undoubtedly paved the way for more shows of its kind, including several spinoffs set within the same timeframe, including The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka.

However, the next Star Wars series coming to Disney+ is Obi-Wan Kenobi, which will be set during a different time in the galaxy far, far away. Ewan McGregor is set to reprise his role as the titular Jedi master along with Hayden Christensen as his former Padawan-turned-Sith Lord Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Penned by Joby Harold and helmed by Deborah Chow, the series will find a broken and faithless Obi-Wan as he is hunted by inquisitors while watching over a young Luke Skywalker on the Lars Homestead. Though McGregor’s character is expected to leave Tatooine at some point in the show and embark on a “rollicking adventure” throughout the galaxy.

Talking to EW for the recent Obi-Wan first-look, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy commented on the possibility of the upcoming Star Wars show crossing over with their staple series, The Mandalorian. Her comments didn’t sound too promising, essentially saying that characters like Ahsoka Tano and Boba Fett all fall “within the Mandalorian timeline,” and will likely remain there. Though Kennedy was keen not to completely rule out the possibility of a crossover.

Chow, who directed two episodes of The Mandalorian and all six of Obi-Wan’s, expanded on Kennedy’s comment, adding that “the strongest connective tissue for us is to the prequels, because that’s where our characters are coming from and that’s where their stories started. So, really, the prequels are the most connected to our series.” In addition to McGregor and Christensen’s characters, Obi-Wan will bring back two more familiar faces from the prequels, Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse as Owen and Beru Lars.

All in all, it’s not surprising that Kennedy and Chow would cast doubt on a crossover given Lucasfilm’s tradition of secrecy, but also because of the logistics presented by the different timelines. On one hand, Obi-Wan is set ten years after Revenge of the Sith, while Mandalorian takes place five years after Return of the Jedi. However, Obi-Wan will still continue the Disney+ practice of bringing over characters from the animated realm, as the Star Wars Rebels characters, The Grand Inquisitor and The Fifth Brother will make the jump to live-action in the series portrayed by Rupert Friend and Sung Kang respectively. Whether Obi-Wan Kenobi crosses over with The Mandalorian or not, it is sure to be a wild ride for Star Wars fans.