Ewan McGregor is known for his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy which ran from 1999 to 2005. Because of the backlash the films received, the Scottish star felt reluctant to reprise his role in the Disney+ series.
He recalled how fans hated The Phantom Menace, but he had to return for two more installments due to contract obligations. And then, there’s the controversies surrounding the sequel trilogy. By this time, McGregor was already considering not to come back at all.
Ewan McGregor Felt Unenthusiastic Playing Obi-Wan Kenobi Amid Flak On Star Wars Prequels
Speaking with Variety, actor Ewan McGregor confessed his true sentiment portraying the iconic Star Wars character Obi-Wan Kenobi.
“It wasn’t a done deal for me. I didn’t think it was at all who I was. I believed, at that point, I was a Danny Boyle actor. ‘The Beach’ was more important, and I meant it, it wasn’t flippant. I did ask a lot of people for advice.”
The 52-year-old actor had to endure the remarks hurled at the franchise after The Phantom Menace was heavily slammed by fans. While the actor was hailed for his performance, the rest of the film was critically panned.
“I am happy that I am this character for a lot of people, but when these films came out, they were so disliked. That was hard. The first one was panned, and we still had to make another two! It was weird to be in a film that was hammered.”
Surprisingly, McGregor had a change of heart and perspective towards the Star Wars franchise after he starred in Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi. In fact, he wishes to make another installment because he truly enjoyed his time working on the series, and it also received generally favorable reviews.
“I would love to do the second season, but there’s no talk of it yet. There is a lot going on at Disney.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi was propelled to life with the purpose of a standalone season with limited episodes. Despite his initial hesitation, McGregor seemingly adored his character in this specific realm of Star Wars.
Will There Be Season 2 Of Obi-Wan Kenobi?
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Obi-Wan Kenobi director Deborah Chow shared how Ewan McGregor eagerly suggested concepts for the next season. While the filmmaker hinted at the possibility of a sequel, she remarked that the show was helmed as a one-off.
“As Ewan and I finished our very last shot on second unit, and I was literally taking off my headphones, he was already pitching me ideas for season two. There’s another 10 years with plenty of stories, and I don’t think it’s off the board. It is a ‘never say never’ situation, but we really did conceive this to be a limited series.”
McGregor echoed the same thought in his conversation with GQ. His delight at the result of the show sparked encouragement from within to keep playing the beloved character.
“I really hope we do another. If I could do one of these every now and again — I’d just be happy about it.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi is available to stream via Disney+.
