The notoriously secretive J.J. Abrams is keeping the lid sealed tight as he works on ‘Star Wars Episode VII’. That hasn’t stopped rumors from swirling. A few days ago, it was speculated that Ian McDiarmid would return to the role of Emperor Palpatine. Possibly trumping that, Latino Review is now reporting that Ewan McGregor would be returning as Obi-Wan Kenobi! The site states that this has been confirmed with three sources close to the production. If so, McGregor would become the first actor from the prequels to return, following McDiarmid and Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford from the original trilogy.
Just last year, while promoting ‘The Impossible’, McGregor stated that he would “be happy” to return to the franchise. Check it out below:
There is some consideration about Sir Alec Guinness, the original Obi-Wan who previously embodied his ghost form, but the site quickly points out that George Lucas re-edited ‘Return of the Jedi’ and replaced the ghost of Anakin, as played by the original actor Sebastian Shaw, with the prequel actor Hayden Christensen.
In addition to the last three chapters of the regular ‘Star Wars’ saga (the trilogy of trilogies?), Disney announced plans to create stand-alone movies showcasing certain breakout characters. (I’m sure a “Fett” will factor in at some point.) It’s rumored that McGregor is pushing for a solo Obi-Wan movie. Will his return to ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ hinge on his getting his own spin-off? Or is he actually only in negotiations for the spin-off with no plans to include him in ‘Episode VII’?
Also, is this movie getting too bogged down with what’s come before? Will all these actors play large roles or are they just there to pop up and pass the baton to a new generation of Star Warriors? And what do fans want? More of what they already loved or some new possibilities?
How about you? What do you want to see in ‘Episode VII’? Comment below!
