Hayden Christensen? Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.
Nonetheless, during Thursday’s Disney Investor’s Day Event, it was revealed that Christensen would be making his return to the world of Star Wars, reprising his role as the infamous Darth Vader in the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series. The move will reunite Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor in their roles from the Star Wars prequels and The Clone Wars animated series, albeit in the form of the “rematch of the century,” as Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy put it in her official announcement.
The series will take place ten years after the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, with Anakin Skywalker newly transposed from a Jedi on the cusp of becoming a Master to the cybernetically-enhanced, black life support suit-sporting Dark Lord of the Sith that we all love to hate (or in the case of some Star Wars fans, just love) after his life-altering battle with Obi-Wan on Mustafar. Here’s the official announcement that Hayden Christensen will play Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi as it appeared on Twitter:
Hayden Christensen returns as Darth Vader, joining Ewan McGregor in OBI-WAN KENOBI. The Original Series begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Revenge of the Sith, and is coming to #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/9WR2npRUkk
— Star Wars (@starwars) December 10, 2020
Hayden Christensen said of his return to the Darth Vader role: “It was such an incredible journey playing Anakin Skywalker. Of course, Anakin and Obi-Wan weren’t on the greatest of terms when we last saw them… It will be interesting to see what an amazing director like Deborah Chow has in store for us all. I’m excited to work with Ewan again. It feels good to be back.”
Will the newly christened Darth Vader really come into contact with Obi-Wan Kenobi in this prequel series, even though their rematch in Star Wars: A New Hope seems to be the first time they’ve seen each other in decades? Will the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series focus more on Obi-Wan’s efforts to shield the identity and location of the Skywalker twins, Luke and Leia from their father?
Production for the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series will resume in March 2020.
What do you think of the news that Hayden Christensen will play Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+? Are you excited to see Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen reunited in their respective, legendary roles in the Star Wars universe? Let us know in the comments.
