Ewan McGregor teases lightsabre duel with Darth Vader in Obi-Wan series

Ewan McGregor (left) will reprise his role as the famed Jedi master in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen will return as Darth Vader. PHOTO: LUCASFILM LTD

LOS ANGELES (REUTERS) - Star Wars fans yearning for another battle between iconic villain Darth Vader and his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi may see the duo face off in a new streaming television show expected next year, actor Ewan McGregor said in a video released on Friday (Nov 12).

The Scottish actor will reprise his role as the famed Jedi master in Obi-Wan Kenobi on Walt Disney's Disney+, and Canadian actor Hayden Christensen, 40, will return as Darth Vader.

The pair last appeared in those roles in the movie Revenge Of The Sith (2005).

"The most beautiful thing of all is that it's brought me back with Hayden," McGregor, 50, said in a video released by Disney.

If the characters "have another swing at each other, it might be quite satisfying for everyone", he said.

The video also included a piece of concept art that showed the characters facing each other with glowing lightsabres crossed between them.

Disney released the video as part of what it dubbed Disney+ Day, an event that featured new programming, trailers and other promotions to encourage customers to sign up for the streaming service it is trying to build to compete with Netflix.

The Mandalorian (2019 to present) on Disney+, featuring the popular Baby Yoda, became a global phenomenon.

The Obi-Wan series is set between Revenge Of The Sith, the third episode in the Star Wars movie saga, and A New Hope (1977), when Luke Skywalker, the protagonist of the original film trilogy, evolves from humble farm boy to hero.

Obi-Wan, in the new series, "basically has one task left, which is to keep Luke safe," McGregor said.

That is the story's starting point, director Deborah Chow said.

"This is quite a dark time," she added. "With him being a Jedi, it's not safe. There are Jedi hunters out there."

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