Ewan McGregor's portrayal of a younger Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the best parts of the Star Wars prequels, and for years, fans have been clamoring to see the actor reprise the role. And in 2019, fans got their wish. During the 2019 D23 Expo, Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi was announced, a limited series heading to Disney's then-upcoming streaming service. Flash forward a few years of non-stop speculation and anticipation, and the first trailer for Obi-Wan Kenobi has finally been released, featuring some elements that may seem familiar to fans of Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order.
Though the two Star Wars narratives will obviously encompass their own unique themes and character arcs, the general plot, and some potential set pieces, may be shared between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Fallen Order. And if The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett are possible indicators on what the future of Star Wars will look like, with character cameos galore, then Obi-Wan Kenobi could be the perfect place to introduce Cal Kestis to the live-action world of Star Wars.
Obi-Wan and Cal Kestis Share a Common Story
From what fans have seen in the first trailer, Obi-Wan Kenobi seems to be telling a fairly similar story to Jedi Fallen Order, following a fugitive Jedi on the run from the Empire. Both the game and the show may even share a similar inciting incident, as it is a popular mode of storytelling in the franchise, whereby the actions of a Star Wars Inquisitor force the main character out of hiding.
If this first trailer is a good representation of what the show might be like, then it seems as though the Empire's Inquisitorius will be a primary focus of the show, with the trailer showing the Grand Inquisitor (who first appeared in Star Wars: Rebels,) along with the Fifth Brother and Third Sister. Jedi Fallen Order shares this focus on the Sith Inquisitorius, with Cal Kestis facing off against several Inquisitors during the game.
According to the information released about Obi-Wan Kenobi so far, it seems as though both the show and the Jedi Fallen Order game may even have similar endings. One of the main plot details that Disney is putting front and center in its marketing for the show is the climactic reunion of Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, who will face off once again as Obi-Wan and Darth Vader. Presumably, to fit in with the rest of the Star Wars timeline, Obi-Wan will end up escaping Darth Vader in some way, where he'll return to his desert hermit ways until the events of A New Hope.
Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order ends in a very similar way, with Cal Kestis coming face-to-face with Darth Vader and narrowly escaping with his life. Though all of these similarities may seem a little surface-level and trivial, it could pave the way for Cal's introduction into live-action.
Cal Kestis Is Perfectly Set Up For Live-Action
From the very moment the part was cast, fans were sure that Cal Kestis would one day appear in some form of live-action Star Wars. When it was announced, some fans strongly believed that, because Respawn chose a somewhat well-known actor for the part, it meant Cal was being set up for a bright future in the franchise.
Though Cal Kestis hasn't made his way outside his own game just yet, there's certainly room for him to make the jump to live-action. Despite only being 28, Cameron Monaghan, the actor behind Cal Kestis, has worked in the industry for over 20 years, appearing in a number of high-profile shows and movies like Shameless and Gotham, so his acting would likely carry over to live-action pretty seamlessly. And due to the realistic nature of Jedi Fallen Order's art direction, Cal Kestis' character model is essentially just Cameron Monaghan himself, so a live-action version wouldn't even need prosthetics or CGI to capture the look of the character.
With the most recent Disney Plus shows bringing a whole slew of Clone Wars and Rebels characters into live-action, it seems pretty likely that Cal Kestis will one day make his live-action debut. And with the open-ended nature of Jedi Fallen Order's ending, the door has been left wide open for sequels, spinoffs, and cameos.
Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres on May 25th, 2022, exclusively on Disney Plus.