Liam Neeson has ruled out a return to the Star Wars franchise, criticising its many recent spin-offs.
Neeson famously played Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn in 1999’s prequel trilogy opener, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
Appearing alongside Paul Rudd on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Thursday (16 February), Neeson was asked by a fan whether he’s interested in reprising his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi’s mentor.
“No, I’m not,” Neeson responded.
“There’s so many spin-offs of Star Wars. It’s diluting it to me, and it’s taken away the mystery and the magic in a weird way.”
“It was nice to do the little bit with Ewan [McGregor],” the actor stipulated about his short cameo in McGregor’s Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The Northern Irish actor previously told Comicbook.com last year that he would consider a return to the role on the condition that it was in a film.
“Yeah, I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to TV, I must admit. I just like the big screen, you know? Qui-Gon, I can’t believe it’s 24 years since we made The Phantom Menace, I just cannot believe where the time has gone. It was a terrific experience shooting that film in London,” he said.
Neeson is currently promoting Marlowe, in which he plays the titular detective character alongside a cast of Diane Kruger, Jessica Lange and Alan Cumming.
Never one to mince his words, Neeson told IndieWire in an interview this week that he was “worried” Tom Hanks would ruin Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis for him.
Marlowe does not yet have a UK release date.
