It was always going to take something big to dethrone The Mandalorian as having the most-watched original series premiere on Disney+. Ewan McGregor stepping into his old Obi-Wan Kenobi role was just that something as the newest Star Wars series hit the platform last weekend. While Disney did not release any numeric figures to show just how popular the series was – possibly with a worry that may end up getting compared directly to Netflix’s release of Stranger Things season 4 on the same day, it is clear that McGregor’s return to his Star Wars role has been hugely popular amongst fans. The actor himself took to his social media account following the news to thank fans for the support they have shown.

“This weekend, Star Wars fans made Obi-Wan Kenobi the most watched Disney+ original series premiere of all time and for that I would say a big thank you and it just goes to show what this family can do when we all pull together.”

The return of Obi-Wan Kenobi has been one of the most anticipated Star Wars events of the last two decades, and while it has frequently seemed like it might never happen, now it is here and the years of waiting have clearly paid off. Not only is McGregor back in the series as Obi-Wan, but Hayden Christensen’s return as Darth Vader was also revealed at the end of the second episode. New episodes will be released each Wednesday and will continue Kenobi’s story as he heads toward a rematch with Vader.

Related: Obi-Wan Kenobi: Why the Jedi Master is Such a Compelling Star Wars Character

Obi-Wan Kenobi Has Stirred Up The Dark Side of the Fan Base

Moses Ingram as Reva in Obi-Wan Kenobi
Disney Platform Distribution

Unfortunately, McGregor was not allowed to be entirely positive in his video message, thanks to the unwarranted racist attacks on actress Moses Ingram, who plays Reva in the series. Ingram previously revealed that she had been warned by Star Wars executives that she could be subjected to racist comments when joining the franchise, and it turned out to be correct. Continuing in his video, McGregor added:

“However, it seems that some of the fan base, from this influential fan base, have decided to attack Moses Ingram online and send her the most horrendous, racist DMs and I heard some of them this morning, which just broke my heart. Moses is a brilliant actor, she’s a brilliant woman and she’s done absolutely amazing in this series. She brings so much to the series, she brings so much to the franchise, and it just sickened me to my stomach to hear that this had been happening. I just want to say as the leading actor in the series, as the executive producer on the series, that we stand with Moses, we love Moses, and if you’re sending her bullying messages you are no Star Wars fan in my mind. There’s no place for racism in this world and I totally stand with Moses.”

Whether this message and others of support for the actress will see the comments dwindle away is questionable, as it is sometimes too easy for those who send these messages to hide behind a keyboard. However, it looks like Ingram was more than prepared to deal with these messages of hate when they arrived, and with the support of the vast majority of fans and her colleagues, she will have seen that she certainly doesn’t stand alone.