Ewan McGregor Wants to Play Obi-Wan Kenobi Again

Last summer, word got out that Lucasfilm was considering a Star Wars story about Old Ben Kenobi himself, the Jedi Master portrayed by Sir Alec Guinness in the original trilogy and Ewan McGregor in the prequels. Naturally, fans’ first question upon hearing the news was whether McGregor would return to the role in all his bearded, lightsaber-swinging glory—it turns out the Scottish actor is game for the idea.

Speaking to reporters about the possibility of an Obi-Wan-centric Star Wars standalone while backstage at Sunday’s Golden Globes, McGregor expressed a desire to reprise the role while also tempering expectations. “There’s a lot of talk,” he said. “I’d be happy to play him again. But I don’t know any more about it than you do. There’s no plan at the moment.”

McGregor—who took home the Globe for Best Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series for his performance as twin brothers Ray and Emmit Stussy in the third season of FX’s acclaimed crime anthology Fargo—also offered his thoughts on the latest Star Wars film, Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi. “I saw the new one just over Christmas, and I thought it was really, really beautiful,” McGregor said. “I loved it.”

Last we heard, Oscar-nominated director Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot) was in talks to direct the Obi-Wan Kenobi movie for Lucasfilm. The film, which did not yet have a script, was reported to take place between Revenge of the Sith and the first Star Wars film, 1977’s A New Hope. The acclaimed Rogue One was the first Star Wars Story to step outside the series’ central, Skywalker-centric mythology; the second, Ron Howard’s forthcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story, due out on May 25, 2018, will return to it. Perhaps Obi-Wan: A Star Wars Story is next.

See McGregor’s remarks on returning to a galaxy far, far away below (via EW).