Kumail Nanjiani scored some major franchise cred in late 2021 starring as Kingo in Eternals, and half a year after the Marvel movie’s release, he’s done it again! Nanjiani is now a part of the Star Wars universe thanks to Obi-Wan Kenobi, with his character, Haja Estree, appearing in the Disney+ show’s second episode. While Nanjiani has admitted he was “intimidated” acting opposite Ewan McGregor when the actor was in Obi-Wan mode, that bit of discomfort paled in comparison to all good things he experienced on this project. Now Nanjiani is even happier about getting to be part of Obi-Wan Kenobi because he finally got the upper hand on his cousin with the better action figure collection.
Getting to participate in a Star Wars project, whether it’s in front of the camera or behind the scenes, is a big enough deal on its own, but Kumail Nanjiani scored something extra: his own poster. Here’s how Nanjiany reacted on Twitter upon seeing Haja presented on a piece of Obi-Wan Kenobi promotional material:
I am so overwhelmed right now. My cousin had a better collection of action figures when we were kids. I was so jealous. I think I finally pulled ahead. pic.twitter.com/93roeUMuXuMay 27, 2022
Kumail Nanjiani’s cousin may have held the upper hand in their younger years with their collection of action figures, but fast-forward a few decades, I think we can all agree that the actor has indeed pulled ahead. Now granted, if Nanjiani’s cousin is still a Star Wars fans nowadays, it’s possible they continued collecting toys from the franchise, and that could still be more impressive than whatever merchandise Nanjiani has accumulated. That being said, playing a Star Wars character, namely one who received their own poster, is definitely the superior accomplishment. As a bonus, Haja gets to have Darth Vader’s silhouette in the stylistic sun covering his left eye.
Since Obi-Wan Kenobi has only just premiered its first two episodes, I won’t share what happens with Kumail Nanjiani’s Star Wars character; you should use your Disney+ subscription to see it for yourself. However, ahead of the premiere, Nanjiani did share how Haja Estree is someone who works on the streets of Daiyu, and he’s a con-man only concerned with looking out for himself. Upon crossing paths with Obi-Wan Kenobi though, his life is thrown for a loop, and I’ll leave it at that.
Kumail Nanjiani is just one of the notable actors popping up during Obi-Wan Kenobi’s run. Along with Ewan McGregor’s return as the title character, we also have Hayden Christensen reprising Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Joel Edgerton reprising Owen Lars and Bonnie Piesse reprising Beru Whitesun Lars. The cast also includes Rupert Friend as The Grand Inquisitor, Moses Ingram as Reva/The Third Sister and Sung Kang as The Fifth Brother, as well as Benny Safdie, Indira Varma, Flea, O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Maya Erskine in roles that have either been undisclosed or shouldn’t be spoiled here. The Mandalorian alum Deborah Chow directed all the episodes, and Joby Harold served as showrunner.
CinemaBlend will continue to provide coverage on Obi-Wan Kenobi, as well as all the other upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows. As for Kumail Nanjiani, he’s shooting the upcoming Hulu series Immigrant, where he plays Somen ’Steve’ Banerjee, founder of Chippendales.
