The release of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+ earlier this summer was a huge success despite some of the mixed reactions that it received. The series was able to depict the life of the titular Jedi Master between the prequel and the original trilogy era which adds up to the overall Star Wars canon and mythology.
However, since the writers of the series have to stick to the canon that has been established for decades, it also poses a lot of challenges and frustration for them according to Andrew Stanton, who co-wrote the last two episodes of the series, during a recent interview with Gizmodo.
Stanton discussed his experience working with Lucasfilm for the series which he described as a "blessing and a curse." While he enjoys being part of the franchise and contributing to the story, they also feel "frustrated" due to the restrictions that it imposes since it has to work within the continuity.
"That was the blessing and the curse of it. It’s like one, you’re geeking out that you get to type ‘Vader says’ this and ‘Kenobi says’ that. You pause and say ‘I can’t believe I’m actually getting paid to type this. I can’t believe these words may be said.’ But then another part of you, it has to go through such a rigorous like ‘Does that fit the canon?’ And I feel like it’s bittersweet," he said.
"[The reason that happens is] because people care, but it also kind of doesn’t allow, sometimes, things to venture beyond where maybe they should to tell a better story. So it can sometimes really handicap what I think are better narrative options."
Despite the frustration that he felt, he praised head writer and executive producer Joby Harold for threading the needle and being able to fit the stories that they planned into the overall canon of the franchise. He also pointed out how Andor is in a safe spot in terms of its placement in the canon.
He added, "And so I was frustrated sometimes—not a lot— but I just felt it wasn’t as conducive to [the story]. I love it when something like Andor is in a safe spot. And it can just do whatever the heck it wants. But I felt, you know, Joby, to his credit, kept the torch alive and kept trying to thread the needle so that the story wouldn’t suffer but it would please all the people that were trying to keep it in the canon. But I got some moments in there that I’m very happy with."
Stanton's sentiments here are understandable since it is difficult to tell a story in the Star Wars franchise that already has a lot of stories going on in the specific time period that they're telling it. In the end, we can safely say that they were able to pull it off and give a satisfying story that works in the overall canon.
Also Read: Star Wars: The Acolyte Unveils Its Official Cast as Production Begins
Obi-Wan Kenobi is available to stream on Disney+.
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