Rumor: Disney Didn’t Cast Ewan McGregor as Doctor Strange Because They Needed Him for Star Wars

“[…] It’s no secret that Ewan McGregor was one of the actors Marvel eyed for Doctor Strange, before ultimately awarding Benedict Cumberbatch the title role. Now, a source who was close to the situation at the time tells FANDOM that he would’ve played the Sorcerer Supreme, had it not been for interference from higher-ups at Disney. Why would Disney veto bringing McGregor into the Marvel Cinematic Universe? The answer should please Star Wars fans.

« Marvel wanted Ewan for the role, » our source says. « But they were told they couldn’t cast him because Disney needed him for Star Wars. » […]

How soon could it actually happen? Lucasfilm and Disney do have a full slate for the next few years. Star Wars: The Last Jedi comes out later this year. The untitled Han Solo movie comes out in 2018. And Star Wars: Episode IX hits in 2019. So, the earliest an Obi-Wan Kenobi movie could hit theaters is May 2020, when another standalone Star Wars film is expected to debut.

Would Doctor Strange really have kept McGregor that busy? Possibly. The character appears in the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok, as well as the epic-scale Avengers: Infinity War and its sequel. And Doctor Strange 2 is expected in a few years, too. That said, if Disney did deny Marvel use of McGregor, it was more likely about brand recognition. It’s possible they don’t want to potentially confuse uninformed audiences by having the same actor play a high-profile role in their two biggest franchises.”

Read the whole article at Fandom.