‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ brings back fan-favorite ‘Star Wars’ character
Spoilers for “Obi-Wan Kenobi” below.
A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.
“Star Wars” fans already thought Disney+ outdid itself by reuniting Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen to reprise their ever-so-iconic roles as Obi-Wan and Darth Vader for “Obi-Wan Kenobi” — but the series’ first two episodes had another pleasant shock in store.
A 10-year-old Princess Leia graced screens worldwide on Friday, sending the fandom into a tizzy like the first sight of little green Grogu, a k a Baby Yoda, did in “The Mandalorian” not so long ago and in a galaxy of close proximity.
Played by Vivien Lyra Blair of “Bird Box,” diehards were quick to notice the young actor’s innate ability to keep up with Carrie Fisher’s iconic precocious portrayal of the Jedi princess.
“I wish Carrie was alive to see the little girl playing her, she would be so delighted to see more story and depth added to Leia,” @tomahawk_c1 tweeted.
“I have so much to say but i want to start by appreciating vivien lyra blair’s performance as leia. she embodies leias spirit, wit and intelligence perfectly. i teared up so many times watching her because i swear, i saw carrie in her smile,” @SITHLEIAS tweeted.
Other fans were happy that Disney kept little Leia out of any promotions for the show.
“I was very surprised to see Leia in this show they didn’t even tease her a little bit In the promos. It’s really cool to think this is the girl who helps bring down the empire and start the resistance,” posted JessePena108.
In addition to Blair unexpectedly joining McGregor and Christensen, Jimmy Smits returns as her adopted father, Alderaan senator Bail Organa — a small but pivotal role he reprised in Episodes II, III and “Rogue One.”
Prequel actors Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse also came back to play Luke’s Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru for the show set a decade after “Revenge of the Sith.”
This harmonious reunion for “Obi-Wan Kenobi” is a remarkable feat considering how the cast left off after their final, 2005 film, according to the Jedi of the hour.
“When [the prequels] came out, they didn’t appear to be so well-received by the critics. So we were left as the cast feeling a little bit sorry for ourselves after they came out,” McGregor told Rotten Tomatoes. “You know, after getting into ‘Star Wars,’ and it being such a huge deal, for them to be slightly poo-pooed by the critics was hard.
“And it’s taken years to realize that, in actual fact, the generation we made them for, the kids who we made them for really loved them, you know. And I didn’t realize for a long time that that was the case, and now I’m discovering that and feeling that more every day. It’s a really nice feeling, and that’s definitely partly one of the reasons why I wanted to come back to play [Obi-Wan] again.”
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