Casting Luke Skywalker For Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi Series

Disney and Lucasfilm dropped quite the bombshell yesterday with the Obi-Wan Kenobi series cast announcement. Speculation is already running rampant with respect to whom each actor will portray. Case in point: the prevailing theory is that Indira Varma (Game of Thrones) will likely play Obi-Wan’s true love Satine Kryze in some kind of flashback. Other’s roles we already know. Hayden Christensen will once again portray Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Likewise, Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse return to Star Wars as Owen and Beru Lars, respectively. Their return, though, poses a very poignant question about a member of the show’s cast yet to be revealed.

We’d have to be foolish at this point not to expect the Obi-Wan Kenobi series to include a young Luke Skywalker. Sure, it’s possible that Obi-Wan could interact with the son of Vader’s aunt and uncle without the need for Luke’s presence… But can the show make it through the entire series without a glimpse of Luke? After all, Obi-Wan’s whole purpose on Tatooine is to watch over the boy and keep him safe. Casting the character, however, is a task that the studio must handle most delicately.

Can Obi-Wan Kenobi Series avoid casting missteps of the past?

Let’s think back to The Phantom Menace. At perhaps too young an age, Jake Lloyd carried the immeasurable burden of portraying young Anakin Skywalker. To say Lucas’s choice in casting Lloyd for the role was questionable is being extremely generous. Sadly, the boy’s portrayal of the would-be Darth Vader is one of the most criticized aspects of the film. Now, decades later, the studio is likely facing a similar conundrum. How does it choose the best child actor to play Anakin’s offspring in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series?

There are other Luke Skywalker factors to consider, as well. Creating another iteration of the character for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series was already a daunting task. Now add in the fact that Rian Johnson’s treatment of the character in The Last Jedi basically divided the Star Wars fan base.  Luke is one of the Star Wars “Holy Trinity” along with Leia Organa and Han Solo. Re-casting the character, even (especially?) of child age, has got to be spot on perfect… Or, as Uncle Owen says; “there’ll be hell to pay.”

So who do you think they will cast as a young Luke in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series? Who would you want to see in the role? Let us know your thoughts below.