Ewan McGregor Would Like More 'Obi-Wan' Money, Please

Ewan McGregor has a new movie to promote, so that means it’s time to spam the Star Wars button. In fairness, McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi was a highlight of The Prequel Trilogy, so much so that he was given a buttload of cash to reprise the role for a titular Disney+ series. He’d like that money faucet turned back on, please.

While talking to E! News on the red carpet for The End of Oak Street, McGregor revealed that he’s open to a new adventure for Obi-Wan, whether streaming or theatrical, but Disney is not biting.

Via Variety:

“I’m ready whenever they are,” McGregor said. “They just seem to not be ready, but I’m up for it. At the end of the ‘Obi-Wan’ series, I’m walking off into the desert and I’ve decided to leave. I’ve realized I can’t keep the pressure on Luke. I realized he has to have his own childhood, so I leave him with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. And I wander off… and Qui-Gon’s back. And we go off… but where are we going?”

“The next time we find Obi-Wan Kenobi, he’s Alec Guinness up in the mountains,” the actor continued. “What happens between those two moments is what I want to do and spend the rest of my career doing these stories. Stories, you know, series or movies. We’ve got plenty of time; I’ve got 10 years before I am Alec Guinesses’ age. So come on, Disney!”

Setting aside the fact that a wise and mysterious blogger called Obi-Wan Kenobi a “a jarringly mediocre mash-up of confounding decisions,” some Star Wars fans inexplicably consider it one of the better Disney+ series. So, without getting mired in that discussion, here’s why McGregor shouldn’t get his hopes up.

For starters, the Disney+ gravy train has come to a grinding halt. Not even Marvel is feeding from that trough as Emmy-nominated series like Wonder Man have been getting the axe. Star Wars is in even more dire trouble. Its last series, Skeleton Crew, had the worst numbers of the franchise. Toss in the box office whimper of The Mandalorian & Grogu, and it’s safe to say that Disney is done tossing money down the streaming toilet.

Granted, McGregor’s Obi-Wan started out as a movie character — and a top-tier one at that — he’s now tainted by the stench of Disney+. Jumping these characters from streaming to the big screen just does not work. Not only that, but this franchise desperately needs to move forward, and there’s a huge question mark around whether that’s even possible. The Last Jedi dared to try, but Lucasfilm got cold feet and Star Wars is still sitting in the crater of that Palpatine-returning decision. (For people with full, active lives, this was a jab at The Rise of Skywalker. You’re welcome.)