Hayden Christensen Teases His Time As Darth Vader Might Not Be Over
Prequel fans are finally having their moment. As we are still reeling from Temuera Morrison’s return in The Book of Boba Fett, Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen are now poised to reclaim their roles as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi, premiering on Disney+ on May 27. We do not know much about what the future holds for McGregor or Morrison, but for Christensen, it seems like the fun is just beginning.
After revealing that he caught up with the entire catalog of The Clone Wars and Rebels episodes in preparation for his return, Christensen seemed to suggest, or at least appear very much interested in, the idea that his reunion with fans will be more than a simple one-off. As he told Total Film recently:
“The extent of this journey, I think, remains to be seen... But what a privilege to get to come back and do this, and to be a part of this project."
More importantly, the interview included a suspicious “no comment” dodge from any and all questions that suggest he will be featured in future projects.
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With the success of Star Wars’ foray into television, opportunities are endless for the future of the franchise. It has been encouraging for fans to notice that the actors of the prequel trilogy are back after seventeen years with genuine enthusiasm. Christensen, though, seemed to be having the most fun diving headfirst into a part that feels more significant than a nostalgic cameo.
It is very much possible that Disney has revealed plans to Christensen, while not promising anything considering Obi-Wan Kenobi will not premiere for another month. You might look at Solo as an example that sometimes plans just do not work out. It is likely that he actually does not have the answers to these questions because as far as we can tell at this moment, the extent of his role in Obi-Wan Kenobi remains to be seen itself. In the official teaser trailer that was released just over a month ago, only Vader's ominous breathing is apparent.
Thankfully, with the unveiling of promotional images from Total Film and a recent comment from McGregor, we can confirm that he will be around long enough for their blades to cross at least once in the new series. McGregor described that it “scared the [expletive] out of [him]” while facing off with the Sith Lord on set.
We have also received conflicting hints that Christensen’s role in the new series may not just be confined to the iconic black suit. As McGregor told Entertainment Weekly, he experienced a lot of joy interacting with his old friend on-set:
“It was like time hadn’t happened or something... I look over at him and he’s Anakin now, I’m Obi-Wan now, it was like nothing had happened.”
These comments likely point to the use of flashbacks in Obi-Wan Kenobi similar to how they were utilized in The Book of Boba Fett.
In the nearest future, the immediate possibility is that Christensen could make an appearance in Ahsoka, which is expected to release sometime early next year. We know that there were a handful of episodes of The Clone Wars that never made it to air, including Ahsoka's discovery by the Jedi. Since Tartakovsky's Clone Wars was relegated to "Legends," we still do not know how Anakin received that scar across his eye.
As the Ahsoka series was teased in The Mandalorian to focus on the ex-Jedi’s hunt for Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ezra Bridger post-Return of the Jedi, it would mean Christensen’s role would, again, be confined to flashback material. Unless Disney is really committed to that formula of storytelling, it is probably best to keep our expectations low in that area.
However, looking a little deeper into the future, Andor feels much more plausible given when the story will take place and the magnitude of celebration that fans gave Vader’s epic return in Rogue One. As that series has also already been confirmed for a second season, it sounds like the studio will be watching Christensen’s career with great interest.
Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres on Disney+ on May 27, 2022.
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Source(s): GamesRadar+, Youtube, Culture Slate [1], [2]