Summary
Joel Edgerton, who portrayed Owen Lars inObi-Wan Kenobiand the prequel trilogy, recently spoke about how he thought the show turned Uncle Owen into one of the best fathers inStar Wars.Owen Lars has been hugely important toStar Wars, albeit quite stealthily, since the originalStar Wars, which was later retitledA New Hope. He was responsible for protecting Luke Skywalker, one ofthe most powerful Jedi ever, and he kept him safe and away from Darth Vader’s attention for years. Owen got a significantly larger, and more exciting, role inObi-Wan Kenobi, and Edgerton recently reminisced about theStar Warsshow.
In an interview with Ryan Britt ofInverse, Edgerton talked about why he reprised the role of Owen forObi-Wan Kenobi, what he wanted to achieve with another appearance, and how he felt about Owen’s depiction in the show.
“I’ve always joked that I’m the most boring character in Star Wars history,” Edgerton says. “Everyone always saw Uncle Owen as just the uncle that won’t let Luke do something — which he is — but to understand why and to see his fierce protectiveness, I think is a nice way of humanizing him even more. That was my mission. I was like, ‘if I’m going to come back, I want to do something that doesn’t disrupt the flow of the way that the audience views that world and the characters, but I want to participate in a way that feels good.’ So I was really happy with the outcome.”
Edgerton is entirely right about whatObi-Wan Kenobidid for Owen. InA New Hope, Owen was extremely boring and came across as an overbearing father because he was used to give Luke a reason to leave Tatooine. InObi-Wan Kenobi, though, Owen got a chance to show just how much he loved Luke, even risking his life to protect him from Reva. Like Edgerton pointed out,Obi-Wan Kenobiwas probably the perfect way to show a new side of such an underappreciated character.
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Star Wars Has Turned Uncle Owen Into A Hero (But Don’t Expect A Disney+ Spinoff)
Obi-Wan Kenobiwent a long way in changing how Owen was viewed, but that show also highlighted a very specific moment in Owen’s time as Luke’s guardian. Edgerton himself recognized that a spinoff “Owen Lars” show wouldn’t happen, as most of Owen’s life was spent doing honest work.
“Imagine how much of a snooze fest it could possibly be if they just made a standalone series about Uncle Owen,” Edgerton says with a massive grin. “It’d be more like a nature documentary as he goes out and farms moisture.”
As Edgerton noted, Owen is largely a boring character, but that’s also exactly why he’s such a great father.Another word for “boring” is “safe,” and the fact that he could make Luke Skywalker, one of the most important and sought-after people in the galaxy, have a boringly safe life is an astonishingly impressive feat. Owen may be boring, but the dedication and love he showed to his adoptive son saved the galaxy, albeit indirectly.
It seems Owen’s time being openly heroic, rather than the quiet brand of heroism he practiced for most of his life, is over.Still, though, Owen got to have quite an exciting moment inObi-Wan Kenobi. His role in the show, and specifically his valiant effort in fighting back Reva, was one of the highlights of the entire series. It also worked perfectly withObi-Wan Kenobi’s somber, introspective tone. The fight itself was exciting, but it worked on a deeper level: it showed that even a character like Owen, whose entire purpose was to be ordinary, can be the hero when it comes to protecting his loved ones.
It is interesting to note that while Owen likely won’t get a dedicatedStar Warsshow, the franchise has increasingly focused on the idea of good father figures.The Mandalorianwas the first to really highlight that concept, as Din Djarin has grown into an ideal parental figure for Grogu. Good dads have continued to pop up throughoutStar Wars, though, particularly through Hunter and Omega’s relationship inStar Wars: The Bad Batch. It even made its way intoThe Acolytethrough Master Sol’s relationship with Osha. Owen may not get his spinoff, but his legacy of being a good father lives on, thanks toObi-Wan Kenobi.
