Do you hear that heavy breathing? That’s both the sound of Darth Vader’s iconic inhalations firing up once more at the end of the second trailer for Obi-Wan Kenobi – and also the sound of millions of Star Wars fans anticipating not just the return of the titular Jedi Master, but the galaxy’s biggest bad too. Disney+’s latest Star Wars series see Ewan McGregor reprise the role of Obi-Wan, having portrayed him in the Prequel Trilogy, and he’s bringing Hayden Christensen’s Vader with him for an almighty rematch. While you won’t see any lightsaber-swinging in this trailer, it does offer some tantalising glimpses of Vader suiting up once more. Give it a watch here:
Happy May The Fourth, everyone! The series, directed by Deborah Chow (who also helmed several episodes of The Mandalorian, is set roughly a decade after the end of Revenge Of The Sith, and a decade prior to A New Hope – a point in time in which McGregor’s Obi-Wan is hiding out on the sands of Tattooine, and Vader is rising as the Empire assembles. And we see some ominous shots of Vader’s charred upper arm getting its robotic lower half screwed on and his chest-plate lighting up – possibly for the much-hyped rematch with Obi-Wan that Kathleen Kennedy has promised.
Elsewhere, we get our first glimpse of Kumail Nanjiani in some lovely robes, we see Fast & Furious favourite Sung Kang in menacing Inquisitor mode, get a shot of an adorable mouse-eared droid, and much more of Obi-Wan riding his trusty snoot-horse. Plus, Joel Edgerton is back as Uncle Owen, laying a brutal verbal smackdown on Obi-Wan as he offers to start training the young Luke Skywalker. As with last time, there’s not much plot given away here – but this is atmospheric, textured Star Wars. Hopefully the Force will be with this one.
We’ll find out in a matter of weeks, when the first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi say ‘Hello there’ on 27 May.