Star Wars Rumor: Could Ewan McGregor's Return as Obi-Wan Be Revealed at D23?

Ewan McGregor debuted as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and, despite fans' passion for Alec Guinness' performance of the character in the original trilogy, the newcomer to the saga quickly became one of the most memorable components of the prequel trilogy. In the years since the release of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, fans have hoped that McGregor would return to the role, with the actor himself also regularly expressing his willingness to return. A new, unverified report claims that the actor has signed on for a project, the details of which could potentially be revealed next week at Disney' D23 Expo.

The report comes from Cinelinx, who noted that two separate sources revealed McGregor had signed a contract to reprise the role. The site didn't specify the details of the contract, so it's unclear if this possible contract could be in regards to a TV series or a theatrical endeavor.

We at ComicBook.com have reached out to McGregor's team to confirm and have not received a response.

Ever since Disney purchased Lucasfilm back in 2012 and began to announce new films it would be developing, rumors about Obi-Wan's return have spread. In the past 18 months, it seems as though new information appears on an almost monthly basis, first claiming a project is moving forward, only for subsequent reports to claim those plans had been scrapped.

Despite the report being unsubstantiated, the timing of this news in relation to D23 is what makes the rumor seem more feasible. San Diego Comic-Con has previously been a major source of announcements for Lucasfilm, in addition to Star Wars Celebration. D23 has become a major source of news for Disney projects and, with the studio continuing to acquire properties and develop new platforms, revealing a new Obi-Wan project on the horizon would be just the kind of news attendees would expect to hear at the event.

In early 2018, it seemed like only a matter of time before Lucasfilm would announce an Obi-Wan Kenobi project, as there was clearly interest from fans and the studio was expanding the franchise exponentially. McGregor even attended the premiere of Solo: A Star Wars Story, sparking speculation about such a project. However, the disappointing box office return on Solo seemingly stagnated all plans to expand the universe, with Disney CEO Bob Iger noting after the film's release that all of the studio's attention would be focused on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. As the release of that film approaches, fans can begin looking towards the future of the franchise.

The D23 Expo kicks off on August 23rd.

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