Joel Edgerton wants to be in the Obi-Wan Kenobi movie with Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson (exclusive)

Joel Edgerton may not have had the most stand out role in the Star Wars prequels but he’d be up for a return to a galaxy far, far away.

Yahoo Movies UK asked the actor, who played Luke Skywalker’s step-uncle Owen Lars in Revenge of the Sith, whether he would be interested in coming back for the Obi-Wan Kenobi movie during an interview about his new film Red Sparrow.

“First part of your question is: could he come back? Yes. Should he come back? Maybe even more of a yes!” Edgerton said.

“I think me and Ewan [McGregor] and Liam [Neeson] in a movie is pretty good. Absolutely! I’d be totally down.”

McGregor played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequel trilogy with Neeson as Qui-Gonn Jinn. The Irish actor had told Yahoo Movies UK earlier this year that he wouldn’t say no to a return as the Jedi Master either.

It’s believed that Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry will be at the helm of the new anthology film, with reports that Pinewood Studios in the UK (where the Star Wars films are filmed) had been booked for use in January 2019 by him and Lucasfilm.

Since Edgerton’s appearance in the 2005 prequel film, he has added a director string to his filmmaking bow with 2015’s The Gift and the upcoming drama Boy Erased, however, he has no interest in taking on a Star Wars movie just yet.

“I don’t know about stepping up to direct a movie like that,” the actor said. “I feel like I’d need to baby step my way towards a $20 million budget, after doing a $5 million movie and a $10 million movie.”

When Yahoo Movies UK joked that he had the prerequisites to be a Star Wars director (white and male) Edgerton said that it’s one of the reasons why he’d be wary of joining the club.

“It’s interesting to think about the colour of my skin because maybe that’s part of it,” he said, “but as pale and translucent as I am, I am also well aware of what I should and shouldn’t do and how to easily trip over and fall.

“And the other thing about being an actor is that you get to see and hear what stories from other actors about that concept. I’m very wary when studios go “hey, you’ve directed traffic before now why don’t you direct our blockbuster movie?” You might be someone who knows how to put a camera in the right place, but you don’t have enough autonomy as a filmmaker yet so [the studio] can also control you.”

Lucasfilm famously fired Phil Lord and Christopher Miller from the Solo: A Star Wars Story, reportedly over creative differences, but Edgerton has been impressed with the freedom given to directors making films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“I think Marvel, with Ryan Coogler and with Taika Waititi, are willing to take a gamble on smart, independent cinema makers,” the actor said. “I like that studios are willing to hand over the reins but I don’t know that when $2 million is at stake you get to hold both reins.

“I like to hold both reins.”

Red Sparrow is in cinemas March 1

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