Kumail Nanjiani recalls how he was intimidated on the set of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The actor is currently gearing up to join the MCU via Eternals, where he plays one of the titular characters in Kingo. But that's not the only major franchise that he's joining - he's also set to enter the space saga through the upcoming Star Wars series on Disney+.
After years of persistent rumors that Ewan McGregor would be coming back as Obi-Wan Kenobi, it was finally announced that he will indeed reprise his iconic role through a show. The project was officially confirmed at D23 Expo 2019, but it wasn't until Disney's Investor Day 2020 that more pertinent information was unveiled. The series' events will be set 10 years after Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith. Meanwhile, Hayden Christensen is also returning as Darth Vader, setting up a rematch for the former allies.
But aside from familiar Star Wars faces, the Obi-Wan Kenobi series is also set to introduce a slew of new characters, one of whom will be played by Nanjiani. Details about his role remain tightly under wraps, but in a new interview with Rolling Stone, he recalls how he was intimidated while sharing the screen with McGregor. He also adds that like himself, his character is supposedly in awe of the legendary Jedi Master.
"I'd heard Ewan [McGregor] was super nice. And then we got to know each other a little bit, just hanging out and talking. Then there was this weird moment where I'm talking to Ewan and they yell 'Action,' and he'd started talking to me, and I was like, 'Oh, I'm talking to Obi-Wan right now. This is not Ewan McGregor. This is Obi-Wan Kenobi that I'm talking to.' My character is supposed to be a little bit intimidated by him, and I was a little bit intimidated. You know, it's fucking Obi-Wan, what are you gonna do?"
Nanjiani was careful not to give any more context to the said scene, but it confirms that he shares a scene with Ob-Wan. Given what he revealed, it's interesting to speculate where this meeting takes place. There's been a long-standing assumption that the Jedi never left Tatooine in between the events of the Star Wars prequels and the original trilogy. It's possible that whoever Nanjiani plays encounters Obi-Wan in the sand planet, and since the titular hero has had a reputation for being aloof and enigmatic, he's unnerved by him. Otherwise, perhaps Obi-Wan suddenly used his Jedi powers that startled Nanjiani's character, similar to what happened in the cantina in A New Hope.
Nanjiani didn't mention encountering Christensen on the set of Obi-Wan Kenobi, so it's possible that he and Darth Vader don't share the screen in the upcoming series. There's a lot of discussion about the extent of the Sith Lord's involvement in the series. With a very limited run, chances are that he's only going to appear in a single episode so as not to take away the focus from Obi-Wan. Then again, this would be enough to make fans happy, especially those who had been sorely disappointed by the prequels but were thrilled with the actors' performances.
Source: Rolling Stone
