A Red Hot Chili Peppers Member Is Joining Star Wars
Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Star Wars live-action spinoff coming to Disney+ this May, will reportedly feature a number of unannounced cameos, but it appears we know of at least one. According to an online insider report, musician Flea of the band Red Hot Chili Peppers will appear in the series in an undisclosed role, alongside Ewan McGregor reprising his role as the iconic Jedi Master. Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres on the Disney+ streaming service with two episodes on May 27.
The exclusive report by StarWarsNews.net reveals that Flea’s cameo is a character who wields a “cool-looking blaster.” The length of his role, and his context in the plot, is not known. Deborah Chow, who directs all six episodes of the series, has previously teased that the series will feature a number of cameos and surprises, including possible Star Wars characters from the past. That has led to speculation that Liam Neeson may return as Qui-Gon Jinn or Ian McDiarmid may reprise his role as The Emperor. “Obi-Wan’s going on a journey… There’s going to be different people that come into his life,” she said in an interview. “One of the things I was trying to do with this series was to have the legacy, and who is important in Obi-Wan’s life, and to also have some new characters. So it’s going to be a mixture of the two.” Chow herself has a connection with Flea, which might explain his appearance in the series. She directed the Red Hot Chili Peppers music video “Black Summer,” a single released this year from their Unlimited Love album.
The 59-year-old Flea (born Michael Peter Balzary) is the bass guitarist and a founding member of the rock band, who first rose to prominence in the early 1980s. Winners of six Grammys and members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Red Hot Chili Peppers are not only known for their music, their members have become well-known personalities in their own right. Flea in particular is the most recognizable member of the band, with appearances in a number of films, including Back to the Future II and III as Douglas J. Needles, a rival to Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) who gets him fired from his job in 2015. His other film roles include The Coen Brothers’ The Big Lebowski, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (in which he co-stars with Johnny Depp), and most recently, Baby Driver. His Obi-Wan Kenobi role is his first professional interaction with the Star Wars franchise, and hopefully he had a better experience than he did with Back to the Future. He reportedly hated his performance in Back to the Future Part II, calling the movie a “multi-million dollar piece of trash.” It’s ironic, since many recognize him from that role rather than as a musician.
Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi is set ten years after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, released in 2005. That film ended with Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) turning to the Dark Side of the Force and becoming Darth Vader, after a climactic battle with Obi-Wan on the volcano planet of Mustafar left him burned and disfigured. Obi-Wan went into hiding on the planet of Tatooine, where he watches over Anakin’s son Luke. Jedi hunters, known as Inquisitors, soon come looking for Obi-Wan, leading to an adventure across the galaxy. The series also stars Moses Ingram, Rupert Friend as the Grand Inquisitor, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Indira Varma, Sung Kang, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Benny Safdie, and Kumail Nanjiani. Hayden Christensen, of course, returns as Darth Vader. Fans will be excited to hear that Ewan McGregor has already voiced his willingness to continue playing Obi-Wan, leaving open the possibility for a second season of the series after the six episodes of the premiere season play out.
