Ewan McGregor Says Obi-Wan Kenobi Was Supposed to Launch Disney Plus — What Went Wrong?

Obi-Wan Kenobi was supposed to be Disney Plus' victory lap for prequel kids all grown up. Ewan McGregor says there was just one problem: by the time Obi-Wan showed up, The Mandalorian had already planted its flag in the sand.

McGregor thought Obi-Wan would be the big launch splash

At Fan Expo Chicago 2025, McGregor talked about how Disney Plus rolled out and how the timing shook out for his long-awaited return. The quotes popped up recently via Popverse, and they have a bit of that inside-baseball energy you rarely hear out loud.

"They brought out Disney Plus and they wanted a big splash, and I thought that is what we were going to be and then just before we made it, The Mandalorian came out."

He also admitted he did a double take when Mando hit first, expecting Obi-Wan to be the headline act, but ultimately felt there was room for everyone. And there was… it just did not break the way Obi-Wan fans might have hoped.

The reality: Mando got there first and owned the moment

The Mandalorian launched day-one with Disney Plus on November 12, 2019 and immediately became the service's calling card. You remember: wall-to-wall Baby Yoda, weekly discourse, the whole thing. Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived later in May 2022, pulled strong viewership out of the gate, but the overall response was more mixed — lots of nostalgia and cameos, not as much consensus love.

Would a different release schedule have changed that? Honestly, probably not. The Mandalorian hit a sweet spot with a new lead, a clean corner of the galaxy, and a weekly rhythm that taught people how to watch Disney Plus. By the time Obi-Wan landed, that ship had sailed.

• Nov 12, 2019: Disney Plus launches; The Mandalorian premieres and becomes the platform's breakout hit.
• May 2022: Obi-Wan Kenobi finally debuts with McGregor back in the robe; fan sentiment is split despite big moments and familiar faces.
• Now: Obi-Wan season 2? Not happening anytime soon. Meanwhile, The Mandalorian keeps ascending.
• May 22, 2026: Din Djarin and Grogu make the jump to theaters with The Mandalorian & Grogu.

Where it all lands

McGregor is not wrong: if you are building a new streamer, you want a flagship — and Mando got the streamer-defining moment Obi-Wan was positioned to have years earlier. That is not a knock on Obi-Wan so much as a reminder that timing is everything, especially when a surprise green puppet crashes the party and steals every heart in the room.