Obi-Wan Kenobi star Ewan McGregor thanks fans for their support in the Star Wars show's record-breaking premiere. The Obi-Wan spinoff show was announced back in 2019 at D23 with McGregor reprising his iconic character, and at the end of 2020, Hayden Christensen was confirmed to return as Anakin Skywalker. The series takes place ten years after Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith, focusing on Obi-Wan watching over Luke and Leia while he stays in hiding from the Inquisitors.
George Lucas' prequel trilogy has gotten more love over the years, and after Disney's lackluster sequel trilogy, many were excited to see the studio expand on prequel characters. McGregor's Obi-Wan is one of the most popular characters from the prequels, so there was already a lot of excitement built even before Kathleen Kennedy promised a rematch between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader. After numerous delays, Obi-Wan Kenobi finally premiered its first two episodes on Disney+ on May 27, and it was a massive win for the streaming service. While exact numbers have yet to be announced, Disney did reveal that Obi-Wan Kenobi has become the most-watched premiere of any Disney+ original show, beating out both The Mandalorian and Loki.
Now, McGregor himself is thanking fans for tuning in to watch Obi-Wan Kenobi. The official Star Wars Twitter shared a video of McGregor expressing his gratitude for the Star Wars fanbase helping Disney+ break a record saying, "It just goes to show what this family can do when we all pull together." However, McGregor also responded to the racist backlash Moses Ingram (Reva) has been getting, saying it sickened him to his stomach. McGregor also gave his full support to the actor, saying, "We stand with Moses. We love Moses." Check out the full video below:
Click here to watch the video on Twitter
The racist backlash against Ingram is of course a serious issue, but there is no denying Lucasfilm has been an incredibly lucrative property to have on Disney+. The Mandalorian was a selling point for Disney+ before its launch in 2019, with the streamer able to entice audiences with the first-ever live-action Star Wars show. Their plan worked, with Disney+ reporting they had over 10 million subscribers on their very first day. And with theaters still recovering from the pandemic, it's not a big surprise Disney has made more Star Wars announcements for Disney+ than they have for theatrically released films.
With shows like Ahsoka, Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, and The Mandalorian season 3 in the works, the franchise is showing no signs of slowing down. However, one question is on many viewers' minds: will Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 happen? The show has been advertised as a limited series, but with how successful Obi-Wan Kenobi has proven to be, it wouldn't be surprising if Disney greenlit a second season. With Darth Maul being alive in the live-action canon and Luke and Leia still being so young, there are plenty of storylines to explore if Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 was to happen. Disney hasn't officially announced a continuation of the Star Wars series, but McGregor's show breaking such a huge record could certainly sway their decision.
Source: Star Wars
