We know, we know… everyone’s heard the Kenobi rumors before. But this week, more specifics came out and were verified by several reputable sources. We’ll break down the rumors, talk about what Obi Wan has been doing on Tatooine, and what this series might be all about. 

For years, Star Wars fans have been clamoring for the return of Obi Wan Kenobi in his own film. A little over a year ago, the consensus was that we are the verge of an announcement, when Ewan MacGregor made an appearance at the red carpet premiere of Solo: A Star Wars Story. But the box office challenges of the film seemed to put a halt on future projects, Kenobi included. But recent reports have suggested the story may be poised to continue in serial form on Disney+. Now, a plethora of new sources are claiming that not only is the series a “go,” but that MacGregor may actually be directing several episodes. We’ve got the details, what has been happening with the Canon Kenobi, and 5 theories for the series.

Jordan Maison of Cinelinx.com reported Thursday that “According to two separate sources, I’ve heard that Ewan McGregor has actually put pen to paper and inked a contract to return as the iconic Jedi Master. I heard word of this recently, but I was sitting on it until, out of the blue, a second source reached out to me (I hadn’t gone digging on this one) saying the exact same thing....Again, this shouldn’t come as a surprise considering how open McGregor has been in his desire to return to the Star Wars franchise. What’s interesting to me, however, is the timing. While development on the Obi-Wan project has been in the early stages since the beginning of this year (according to StarWarsNewsNet), locking in a contract means they’re really moving forward on it.”
Update: Incredibly happy to add to this report that Deadline, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter have all independently confirmed our story from this morning. Hopefully this means we’ll get some official announcement from Lucasfilm sooner rather than later.

Kenobi writes a journal for Luke Skywalker while in his exile on Tatooine
For those fans going by nothing but the films, one of the biggest changes made to the Star Wars canon is the introduction of the journals of old Ben Kenobi. Their first appearance came in the pages of Marvel's Star Wars #7 (2015), the canonical comic book that has already made massive changes to the Star Wars mythology. This particular issue from Jason Aaron and Simone Bianchi began with the above passage. It revealed that during his years in exile on Tatooine, Obi-Wan made sure to record his experiences and wisdom for Luke Skywalker to someday read. Which he is shown doing in the cockpit of his X-wing, explaining where a great deal of Luke's knowledge about the Jedi and the Force came from. It's an unexpected method for Kenobi to essentially 'teach' his student, and one that provided several key insights into his life. 
Kenobi didn’t begin his time on Tatooine as a hermit
Obi-Wan's journals confirm that he began his time on Tatooine living like most locals: frequenting the markets as much as any inabitant of the harsh world. So it's possible that Obi-Wan--sorry, Old Ben made connections and friend at first... before he realized using his gifts risked more for the innocent than it gained, and he committed to a solitary existence.
Kenobi Brings and End to the Story of Shmi Skywalker
He'd gone to Shmi Skywalker's grave to apologize for losing her son. He had never met her, knew her only from Anakin's stories, but Qui-Gon had made her a promise and Obi-Wan hadn't been able to keep it. As he stood there, looking at the stone, he felt an even deeper shame. Qui-Gon had left her there a slave, and Obi-Wan had done everything in his power to prevent Anakin's return.
Kenobi Communes with Qui Gon Jin’s Force Ghost
Obi-Wan let go of Ben Kenobi's house... and broke through the wall between life and death... His senses were sharp. He could hear every sound at once, and also none of them. It took him a moment to focus on the voice he wanted most to hear... Obi-Wan had only a moment before he was wrenched back into the physical world, but it was long enough to renew his hope. "Obi-Wan," said Qui-Gon Jinn. He was sure the voice was stronger this time. "Let go."
Kenobi Wages War Against the Tusken Raiders
Survival on Tatooine means bartering for what you need, and for Obi-Wan, that means communicating with the infamous Jawas. They're as shrewd as it gets, but their size makes them vulnerable to Tusken Raider attacks. If fans want some action to go along with their drama, look no further than Star Wars #15, when Obi-Wan takes on a gang of the scavengers all by himself--and without his lightsaber. No wonder they flee in fear when he makes his original Star Wars introduction.
Kenobi Saves Luke’s Life More than Once
The movies may suggest that Obi-Wan has merely observed Luke Skywalker as he grew from an infant to a teenager, but the Star Wars comics reveal he had a far more hands-on approach. After all, Tatooine is a harsh place for anyone, let alone two innocent moisture farmers raising a troublesome little Force-sensitive. In the pages of Star Wars #7 Obi-Wan steps in to use his Jedi Mind Trick on a band of Jabba the Hutt's 'tax collectors.' While helpful, Owen Lars eventually lets Obi-Wan know that he's aware of his interference, direct and indirect, in the above exchange (from Jason Aaron and Mike Mayhew's Star Wars #15). How could an Obi-Wan series even resist showing these never-before-seen moments? 
"Ever since you showed up, mine is the only house for kilometers that's never been attacked by Sand People. That was never raided by Jabba's thugs."
"Sounds to me like you've been rather blessed, Owen. The Force works in mysterious ways."
Kenobi Becomes Tatooine’s Most Wanted
The former Jedi Master may have kept his lightsaber concealed when taking on a gang of Tusken Raiders, but Obi-Wan does have to use it in combat at least once. As we mentioned above, Obi-Wan used his gifts to keep the Lars family free from Jabba's intimidation (among other small acts of defiance). Over time, the strange old man living out on the edges of the Dune Sea became a problem Jabba needed to solve... by hiring a bounty hunter to find him, and kill him. Obviously the bounty hunter got more than he bargained for in Star Wars #20, but the idea that even BEN Kenobi had criminals who wanted him dead only adds to his legacy as a fearsome soldier.
The Great Drought
The early excerpts from the journals of old Ben Kenobi find him just a few years into his exile, when his life as a Jedi remains fresh in his memory. It also presents the greatest test of his heart, spirit, and duty to protect Luke unseen... thanks to the coming of 'The Great Drought.' A time when moisture is running out on Tatooine, Jabba's grasp on the weakest tightens, and people are dying every day because of it. As a Jedi who spent most of his adult life (seen through the Star Wars films and The Clone Wars) helping those in need, being forced to turn a blind eye to suffering takes a toll. The question at the heart of the above passage--how Obi-Wan Kenobi forced himself to abandon the galaxy--might be the most compelling in his entire life's story. It's told beautifully in the comics, but adapting it to the live-action canon would forge an even stronger connection between Obi-Wan's struggle and Luke Skywalker's own exile in The Last Jedi.
"You never trained me for this, Master Qui-Gon. you never taught me how to fade away."
Twin Suns
https://screenrant.com/star-wars-obiwan-kenobi-tatooine-exile/ 
Kenobi Series Theories
https://screenrant.com/star-wars-obiwan-kenobi-tatooine-exile/ 
5. Obi-Wan Learning How to Become a Force Ghost From Other Ghosts
4. Ben Versus the Lars Family
3. Old Ben Secretly Aids the Rebellion
2. A Series That Cover the Entire 18 Years of His Exile
1. A Darth Maul-Centric Arc That Culminates in a Retelling of That Big Rebels Episode

Hot Takes:

The rumors about future Star Wars films are taking more twists and turns than a Friday afternoon soap opera. Rian Johnson’s supposedly “canceled” trilogy is still on. The Game of Thrones guys trilogy may not even be written by them. And apparently every theme in the history of Star Wars films will be present in The Rise of Skywalker.  It’s time for Hot Takes!

Rian Johnson: New Star Wars Trilogy to Move Beyond Legacy Characters
https://observer.com/2019/08/star-wars-rian-johnson-trilogy-knives-out-tiff/
Getting a movie made is such a laborious process that any film that actually makes it to the screen is a minor miracle. So for Rian Johnson to boast one of the Toronto International Film Festival’s most anticipated premieres with the murder mystery Knives Out, while also working on a discreet new series of Star Wars movies for Lucasfilm, you know he must possess that “it” factor Hollywood craves. While speaking to Observer ahead of Knives Out‘s debut next month (when we’ll have additional coverage of the film and more from Johnson), he discussed the freedom both projects afford him as a storyteller.
“I think that the fun and challenging part of it is to dive in, figure out what’s exciting and then figure out what it’s going to be,” he said. “We’re doing something that steps beyond the legacy characters. What does that look like? To me, the blue sky element of it is what was most striking about it. I know the way that I’m coming at it and what’s fun about it for everyone in Lucasfilm is figuring out, ‘what’s the next step?’ It really makes you think and figure out what the essence of Star Wars is for me and what that will look like moving forward.


Benioff and Weiss Could Be Scaling Back Their Star Wars Series After New Deal with Netflix
https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/benioff-weiss-scaling-back-star-wars-netflix-deal
The Hollywood Reporter just released a new piece analyzing Benioff and Weiss' Netflix deal and the soundness of the streamer's investment in the showrunners, who