Liam Neeson says Star Wars is losing 'the mystery and the magic' due to its many spin-offs

Liam Neeson thinks the Force is dwindling in the Star Wars universe.

The actor, who made a cameo appearance as his character Qui-Gon Jinn in Obi-Wan Kenobi last summer, visited Watch What Happens Live on Thursday and revealed that he doesn't want his own spin-off series because he thinks all the new projects are bogging down the franchise.

"No, I'm not," Neeson said when asked if he was interested in returning one day. "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."

Still, Neeson acknowledged that it was "nice to do the little bit with Ewan [McGregor]" in Obi-Wan Kenobi, which took place more than two decades after the pair first shared the screen in George Lucas' 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace. 

And, just in case anyone was confused, Neeson then turned to fellow guest Paul Rudd and got him up to speed on his recent jaunt to a galaxy far, far away. "We did a TV version. I appeared in the last episode. I had two lines to say. Two lines," he told the Ant-Man actor and host Andy Cohen. "And that was cool! I loved doing that!"

Neeson previously starred as Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi's teacher who dies at the hand of Darth Maul, in The Phantom Menace. Last April, he told ComicBook.com that he would be open to reprising the role again if it were not in a television format.

"I think so... if it was a film," he said. "I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to TV, I must admit. I just like the big screen, you know?"

Lucasfilm/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn in 'The Phantom Menace'

He added, "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."

Since Neeson last hung out with Obi-Wan and Jar Jar Binks, numerous Star Wars spin-offs have landed on TV and the big screen. That includes standalone films like 2018's Solo and 2016's Rogue One and a whole host of shows including Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars: Visions, The Mandalorian, Andor, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and The Book of Boba Fett. The universe is set to expand even further with the forthcoming series Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, and The Acolyte.

Watch Neeson explain why he thinks Star Wars' charm is fading in the clip above.

For interviews with the casts of Andor, Ahsoka, The Mandalorian, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, make sure to check out EW's new Star Wars podcast, Dagobah Dispatch.

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