Update:Deadline has confirmed that McGregor will lead an untitled Disney+ series about Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is now the thirdStar Warsseries slated for Disney’s streaming service afterThe Mandalorianandan untitled seriesthat followsRogue One’s Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and K-2SO (Alan Tudyk). Presumably, there will be an official announcement of sorts at D23, which is in Anaheim next weekend. Our original story follows below.
It’s a slow news day and with radio silence onStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, people are desperate for anyStar Warsinfo they can find.Cinelinxis reporting that rumor thatEwan McGregorhas signed on to play Obi-Wan Kenobi in an upcoming Disney+ series.
You may recall that an Obi-wan moviewas on the horizon a couple years agowithStephen Daldry(The Hours) on board to direct and McGregor presumed to return to play the Jedi Master. However, whenSolo: A Star Wars Storyflopped (or at least flopped relative to expectations), Disney putthe kibosh on all spinoffsincluding Obi-wan and a planned Boba Fett movie directed byJames Mangold.
For their part, Cinelinx claims that Ewan McGregor isn’t just in talks, but has literally signed onto return, which is strange since you’d suspect the trades to have that kind of info. Cinelinx notes that Disney was able to keep theirShang-Chicasting under wraps, but I’d counter thatSimu Liuis an unknown actor playing a less-famous character, so it was easier to keep the information contained. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that McGregor will star in an Obi-wan series for Disney+, and it’s the kind of thing thatsoundstrue. It’s an established character played by a movie star who has expressed interest in the past of returning to the role, and it’s a way to further bolster the Disney+ streaming service. And hey, D23 is right around the corner, so wouldn’t that be well-timed for an announcement?
But just because somethingsoundscorrect, that doesn’t make it correct. When we reached out to Disney, they were unsurprisingly mum about the whole issue. My issue with this rumor is that—it’s a rumor, one that seems designed to cater for fans desperate for information. And maybe it will turn out to be true, in which case, kudos to Cinelinx for breaking the story. But right now, I’m taking this with a grain of salt, and if it does turn out there’s more of Obi-wan’s story on the way,I’m really not all that interested.
