I've been seeing him pop up in a ton of projects lately, but nothing Star Wars for years now. Does anyone know if there was some kind of issue with Lucasfilm or if he's just not interested in coming back?
McGregor had his own series, "Obi-Wan Kenobi," which came out in 2022 on Disney+. So it's not that he's disappeared from Star Wars, but rather that after that there simply haven't been any more projects for his character. Lucasfilm apparently decided to close that story with that limited series and focus on other things, so it's not a matter of conflict but more that they told what they wanted to tell about Obi-Wan in that era.
What people sometimes forget is that not all actors want to be in absolutely everything. McGregor has been involved in a bunch of other interesting work that probably keeps him pretty busy. Plus, returning to a character you've already played is risky - if it goes badly, people get disappointed; if it goes well, they still end up wanting more. Sometimes it's better to leave things on a good note than to keep milking it until there's nothing left.
McGregor's been pretty busy with other projects, but most likely he just wasn't offered anything or the timing didn't work out. Lucasfilm has been churning out a ton of series and movies these past few years, and not every actor can be in everything. Either way, he's hinted in some interviews that he'd love to come back to the Star Wars universe if something comes up that makes sense for the character, so there doesn't seem to be any bad blood with the studio.
What a lot of people don't realize is that the Star Wars series that have come out over the past few years don't necessarily aim to bring back the classic actors. Lucasfilm has preferred to do new things with new characters or explore parallel storylines, so it's not like there's any drama between McGregor and the studio - it's just that the projects are going in different directions. The guy's been doing a ton of work in indie films, psychological thrillers, and that kind of stuff that apparently motivates him more at this point in his career.
What's interesting is that when there was that Obi-Wan series a while back, he did come back. Since then things have been quiet on his end, but that doesn't mean he's closed any doors or that he has conflicts with anyone. It's just how the industry works: actors and studios go for what interests them at any given moment, and if the projects don't fit, no big deal. Sometimes it's a timing thing, sometimes it's money, sometimes it's just that someone decided to tell a different story. No drama.
Do you really think Lucasfilm would be constantly trying to bring back the old actors? I'd say it's simpler than that: after "Obi-Wan Kenobi" in 2022, the guy just hasn't been on the radar for the new projects they've been developing. Studios tend to move in different directions with each series, and even though McGregor was perfect for that miniseries, it doesn't mean there's drama or that they've shut the door on him - just that Lucasfilm's plans went a different way. Plus, the guy's got a ton of stuff going on in film and TV, so maybe he's not even asking to come back.
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