Obi-Wan Kenobi star Ewan McGregor explains how Trainspotting 2 turned him around on the idea of returning to the Star Wars franchise.

Speaking to Total Film, McGregor discussed his initial reservations about coming back as the iconic Jedi Master and how another sequel changed his mind. McGregor said, "I didn't want a sequel to Trainspotting to tarnish the reputation of Trainspotting because I loved it so much." He continued, "And then slowly, I just started thinking, 'I do want to do it. Why wouldn’t you?' And the same thing happened with Obi-Wan. I believe that if you've explored a character in your work, somewhere they live in that compartment of your brain. They're still in there, and it's not very difficult to get them out again, I found."

RELATED: Ewan McGregor's Public Obi-Wan Comments Led to Disney+'s Latest Star Wars Series

Trainspotting, based on the 1993 novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh, starred McGregor as Mark Renton, an Edinburgh native. The 1996 film followed Mark's tumultuous life and those of his friends, exploring their struggles with addiction, destructive relationships and unexpected violence. The film effectively catapulted McGregor into the international spotlight, and would be followed up over two decades later with 2017's Trainspotting 2. The sequel, which took place nine years after the events of the first film, tied up the events of the original and gave McGregor's Renton some much-deserved closure.

Regarding his return to the titular role for Obi-Wan Kenobi, McGregor said, "It was nice to come back and to bridge that gap between me and Alec Guinness. I got as much, or more, out of playing him this time than I did in the first three movies put together." He added, "That's to do with the writing, and the people we were making the series with, and the technology, and how different everything is."

RELATED: Obi-Wan Kenobi Director on Season 2 Possibilities

Apart from seeing McGregor reprise his role from the Prequel Trilogy, Obi-Wan Kenobi also marks the return of Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader for the first time since 2005's Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. The series will follow McGregor's Obi-Wan during his life in exile after the rise of the Galactic Empire, as well as the ongoing hunt for the last remaining Jedi. Alongside Christensen's Darth Vader, the titular hero is set to encounter the threat of the Inquisitor, played by Rupert Friend. This Force sensitive assassin will be joined by his fellow Inquisitorius, including Moses Ingram as Inquisitor Reva, aka Third Sister.

Fans can see McGregor back in action when the first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi premiere on Disney+ on May 25.

Source: Total Film