Hayden Christensen has returned as Star Wars’ most iconic villain in Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+. If he has his way, there may be a Darth Vader spinoff in the future.
Once upon in a time, in a decade not far away, Christensen was reviled by Star Wars fans. His performances as the doomed Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith – whether he was complaining about sand, slaughtering younglings, or screaming “I hate you!” – attracted intense criticism.
For a franchise that once seemed like a new hope, the reception to Star Wars since the turn of the millennium has been exhausting. That’s before we get to the sequels, with The Last Jedi tearing an almighty rift in the fandom.
Things have been getting better. The world united over Grogu in The Mandalorian, the Boba Fett series was inoffensive, and there’s real excitement in the air for a duel of the fates in Obi-Wan Kenobi, landing on Disney+ tomorrow, May 27.
Hayden Christensen would “absolutely” do a Darth Vader spin-off
Christensen hasn’t donned the Sith Lord’s cloak and helmet since Episode III in 2005. Soon though, we’ll see him face off with Ewan McGregor’s beloved Jedi once more. However, the actor would happily return as Darth Vader again in his own spin-off.
In an interview with ET Canada, he was asked how he’d feel about leading his own series, to which he said: “Yeah, I mean, absolutely. I think this is a character that resonates in our culture in a very kind of profound way, and there’s certainly more there to explore.”
Christensen also spoke about the “special reception” to his arrival on set as Darth Vader. “What was really neat about it is that there were a lot of Star Wars fans part of our crew… and when I got to step out as Darth Vader, that was another big moment,” he said.
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Hayden Christensen praises Darth Vader’s brutal scene in Rogue One
While the star hasn’t fully reprised the role before Obi-Wan Kenobi (nobody is counting his voice in Episode IX), we’ve seen Darth Vader in other media; more specifically, his blistering, merciless Rebel massacre at the end of Rogue One, arguably the best scene in the character’s on-screen history.
The voice was provided by longtime star James Earl Jones (it’s not been confirmed whether he’s back for Obi-Wan Kenobi), while Spencer Wilding and Daniel Naprous filled out the villain’s suit in the movie.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly about capturing the actor’s earlier balletic physicality, he said: “Yeah, we get a little bit of that.
“I think what they did in Rogue One was very strong and that resonated with everybody, but there are a few nods to Anakin’s style. But his style changes and evolves as he tries to fight in his armor now.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi’s first two episodes arrive on Disney+ on Friday, May 27.
