Obi-Wan Kenobi series: Kumail Nanjiani teases his “substantial” role

Production on the Obi-Wan Kenobi series wrapped up last month, but we still have a ways to go before we get to see Ewan McGregor back in action as the iconic Jedi Master. Until that time, we’ll have to make do with small teases spooned out by the cast of the series. The latest tease comes to us from Eternals star Kumail Nanjiani.

The actor spoke with Rolling Stone to explain how he got involved with the Obi-Wan Kenobi series and teased that his character hasn’t exactly been seen before in the Star Wars franchise.

My agents called me and it was the whole group of them that never call you. And I was like, “OK, this is either amazing news or really awful news.” And they’re like, “They want you to play a part in Obi-Wan, and apparently it’s substantial.” So then I talked to [director Deborah Chow] and we had a great conversation. And the character sounded awesome — I was so excited about this character. We haven’t seen this exact thing in Star Wars yet. This is like a new version of a type of Star Wars character we’ve seen before. And she was trying to sell me on it. And I was like, “I was gonna do it before the conversation!”

Kumail Nanjiani said that the Obi-Wan Kenobi series was his first project out of quarantine. “It was just the most joyful first job back possible,” Nanjiani said. “I didn’t know how I could beat the experience I’ve had, which is a Marvel movie with Chloé Zhao, who is amazing, and maybe the greatest cast ever assembled, and then have Obi-Wan as the next thing, with another really fantastic cast. Ewan McGregor! Really? I don’t know where I go from there.” Speaking of Ewan McGregor, Nanjiani was thrilled with acting opposite Obi-Wan Kenobi. “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.’” Nanjiani said. “My character is supposed to be a little bit intimidated by him, and I was a little bit intimidated. You know, it’s f**king Obi-Wan, what are you gonna do?“

In addition to Ewan McGregor and Kumail Nanjiani, the Obi-Wan Kenobi series also stars  Moses Ingram (The Queen’s Gambit), Joel Edgerton (Boy Erased), Sung Kang (F9), Bonnie Piesse (The Vow), Kumail Nanjiani (Eternals), Indira Varma (Game of Thrones), Rupert Friend (Homeland), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton), Simone Kessell (Reckoning), and Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems). The series will also feature the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. The series will launch on Disney+ in 2022.