Star Wars: Kumail Nanjiani Offers New Details on His Obi-Wan Kenobi Character
The upcoming Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi is set to bring back a number of beloved characters, allowing for another showdown between the titular character and the villainous Darth Vader, but the series will also introduce new characters, such as Kumail Nanjiani's Haja. While in Marvel's Eternals Nanjiani delivered the superheroic Kingo, the actor recently described that he's not so much of a hero in the Star Wars series as he is a character merely trying to survive at a time when the galaxy is in the throes of a civil war, who happens to cross paths with Ewan McGregor's Kenobi. Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres on Disney+ on May 27th.
"His name is Haja," Nanjiani shared with Entertainment Weekly. "And he's this guy who works on the streets of Daiyu, which is this new Star Wars location that we haven't seen before that's absolutely gorgeous. And he's the guy who's worked really hard to stay out of the bigger conflicts at play. He just kind of wants to be his own guy. Survival for him is all that matters."
Throughout the history of the adventures seen in the galaxy far, far away, seemingly innocuous characters have been forced to make decisions to embrace their destiny and leave their safe and mild-mannered lives behind, though it sounds as if Haja might not be as compelled to take a side in the conflict.
"He's this sort of con-man guy who cons people for money," the actor detailed. "That's what's important to him. And then he has a run-in with Obi-Wan and suddenly he sort of gets stuck in the bigger conflicts at play, which is the thing that he really tries to avoid. So he is this street-level con-man guy who then gets embroiled in stuff that's way too big for him. And he has to make a choice."
Disney+ describes the new series, "During the reign of the Galactic Empire, former Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi embarks on a crucial mission. Kenobi must confront allies turned enemies and face the wrath of the Empire."
Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi debuts on Disney+ on May 27th.
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