Ewan McGregor Dispels Rumors of Obi-Wan Kenobi Star Wars Movie

There were lots of reveals at the 2017 Star Wars Celebration, but there wasn’t confirmation of an Obi-Wan Kenobi standalone movie that many fans were hoping for. Ewan McGregor himself wasn’t at the celebration, but he was willing to answer a few questions from Entertainment Weekly on Tuesday about the possibility of such a project. Unfortunately, the prospects look grim, at least for the near future.

The persistent rumors about an Obi-Wan spin-off intensified after an unidentified standalone Star Wars film was confirmed for a 2020 release date. But McGregor indicated to EW that it won’t be about Ben Kenobi.

“There’s no official offer, and I haven’t met them about it or anything,” he said. “I think they’ve got films to make until the 2020s, so I don’t think it’s going to happen soon if it happens at all.” That pretty much settles it, for now. If Disney wanted McGregor to star in a film coming in 2020, it would presumably have spoken to him about the project by now.

McGregor has long expressed his interest in one, or possibly even two, Obi-Wan spin-offs. He’s at an ideal age for such a story, which would probably take place sometime between Episode III and Episode IV, aka the period covered by the animated series Star Wars Rebels. Although Obi-Wan doesn’t really deserve a spin-off, at least not as much as some other less-developed characters might, the popularity of such an idea could encourage Disney to one day give it a go. Just not yet, apparently.

Many speculate that the star of the 2020 film will be the bounty hunter Boba Fett; other contenders include Mon Mothma and Princess Leia. For now, we’ve got 2018’s Han Solo: A Star Wars Story to which we can look forward. There’s no doubt about that one.