Ewan McGregor Pressures Disney for Obi-Wan Kenobi Return

Ewan McGregor Is Begging Disney for More Obi-Wan Kenobi — “Come On, Disney!”

Some actors are done with their biggest franchises. Ewan McGregor is the opposite: he’s practically campaigning to get back into the Star Wars saddle. The actor went public with his pitch again this week while promoting his new film, telling E! News that the ball is entirely in Disney’s court when it comes to his future as Obi-Wan Kenobi. “I’m ready whenever they are,” he said. “They just seem to not be ready, but I’m up for it.”

It’s not hard to see why he’s so eager. Obi-Wan Kenobi, the 2022 Disney+ limited series, ended on a note that felt less like a conclusion and more like a promise. “At the end of the series, I’m walking off into the desert and I’ve decided to leave,” McGregor explained. “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?”

He Has a Ten-Year Plan

Here’s the thing that makes McGregor’s pitch so compelling: he’s thought about the character’s timeline, and he’s done the math. “The next time we find Obi-Wan Kenobi, he’s Alec Guinness up in the mountains,” he said. “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 Guinness’ age. So come on, Disney!”

That’s the kind of passion studios usually only dream about. McGregor has been open about wanting to return since before the Obi-Wan Kenobi finale even aired — he told British GQ in 2022 that he’d “be happy” to do one of these “every now and again.” The series itself was always billed as a limited event, and it’s been quiet on the Obi-Wan front since. But McGregor isn’t letting it go quietly, and Star Wars fans — who largely consider his casting one of the prequels’ greatest successes — are right there with him.

A Franchise Legacy Worth Revisiting

McGregor’s history with the character spans more than a quarter century. He debuted as Obi-Wan in 1999’s Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, a movie that polarized audiences but won near-universal praise for his performance. He reprised the role in Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005), becoming a fan favorite through the prequel trilogy’s redemption arc — his performance in the Order 66 sequence of Revenge of the Sith remains one of the most rewatched moments in the entire saga. Then came a 17-year hiatus — until the 2022 Disney+ series brought him back.

That return wasn’t just a nostalgia play. The series reunited McGregor with Hayden Christensen, giving Anakin and Obi-Wan the confrontation fans had waited decades to see, and it introduced new layers to their shared history — including a rematch that finally landed differently now that both actors had aged into the parts. The series took some creative risks, too, from the introduction of an inquisitor hunting Jedi to a young Princess Leia storyline that tied the prequel era directly into the original trilogy.

And that series was a monster. Obi-Wan Kenobi became Disney+’s second most-watched show of 2022, with 6.5 billion minutes viewed in the United States alone (per Luminate). For context, that put it behind only the streaming giant’s biggest hits of the year — and it did it with just six episodes. The appetite for more Kenobi content is proven, which makes Disney’s hesitance all the more curious to observers.

Where Does Obi-Wan Fit in the Current Star Wars Slate?

The timing of McGregor’s push is interesting. Star Wars on the small screen is currently in a fascinating place. The Mandalorian remains the franchise’s flagship, with its cinematic spinoff The Mandalorian & Grogu hitting theaters. Ahsoka has been building its own corner of the story, and Andor has become the critical darling of the live-action slate. A Kenobi follow-up would slot right into that lineup — especially the era between the series’ ending and Obi-Wan’s hermit years on Tatooine, a gap the prequel-era shows have barely touched.

What would that story look like? McGregor has hinted at the possibilities without spoiling anything: adventures with Qui-Gon’s ghost, the slow build toward the man we meet in A New Hope. It’s rich territory — a Jedi in exile, processing the fall of everything he believed in, while the Empire consolidates its grip on the galaxy. If Lucasfilm ever wanted a prestige, character-driven addition to the Star Wars slate, this is the one.

There’s also a practical argument for a follow-up that goes beyond nostalgia: the prequel era is having a genuine renaissance. For years, Star Wars fans were divided on the prequel trilogy, but the generation that grew up with those movies now runs the internet — and the franchise itself has leaned into that. Shows like The Clone Wars and Rebels rehabilitated the era’s storytelling, and the live-action slate has been slowly filling in the gaps between Episode III and Episode IV. Obi-Wan Kenobi was the first live-action show to sit squarely in that window, and its success proved there’s an audience hungry for more of that period.

A Kenobi continuation would also give Lucasfilm something its current slate doesn’t have: a true character study. The Mandalorian is a western, Andor is a political thriller, Ahsoka is an epic quest. An older, wearier Obi-Wan navigating the galaxy between his series and his hermit years would be something different — a meditation on failure, faith and redemption, told through one of the franchise’s most beloved figures. That’s a compelling pitch even before you factor in McGregor’s enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, He’s Got a Movie Coming Out

Before any of that can happen, McGregor has other business to attend to. He’s currently on the press tour for The End of Oak Street, a family drama from director David Robert Mitchell starring Anne Hathaway — and the early reviews have been strong, with the film generating serious awards buzz ahead of its theatrical release. It’s a reminder that McGregor is one of those rare actors who can headline a galaxy-sized franchise and then pivot to intimate character work without missing a beat. He’s also coming off the well-received A Gentleman in Moscow, proving his TV range extends well beyond lightsabers.

So, will Disney answer the call? Nobody knows yet — but McGregor is making it impossible to ignore. The actor has the will, the availability and the track record. All that’s missing is a green light from Lucasfilm.

Do you want to see Obi-Wan Kenobi return for another chapter? And if it happens, should it be a new series or a movie? Let us know your thoughts below.