Star Wars prequel trilogy star Hayden Christensen has at last broken his silence on reprising the role of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in the upcoming Disney+ series, Obi-Wan Kenobi. While the extent of Christensen’s role in the series is still unknown, it has been revealed that the actor will don the iconic costume of Vader. An experience that Christensen has now described as “surreal.”
"The whole experience was very surreal. The first time that I saw Ewan as Obi-Wan again, that was a very special moment for me, and one that I'll remember for a very, very long time."
In a profile on Obi-Wan Kenobi by EW, Christensen discussed returning to the role after all these years, praising director Deborah Chow’s vision for the Star Wars series and how it continues the relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin (it's unknown at present whether Vader will remove his helmet, or if James Earl Jones will return as Vader's voice).
"Deborah came up and we spent the day chatting. She told me a little bit about the project and her vision for it, and I just thought that it sounded wonderful. I was very excited to come back."
While there was reportedly some discussion over whether or not to include Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi, once the series was reworked (Kathleen Kennedy was reportedly not impressed with the original, dark story) and writer Joby Harold was brought on board, it became a no-brainer. "It was so important to have Hayden be a part of this project because he is such a massive part of that character," Harold said. "It was a priority to all of us that we did it with as much care as possible, so as to honor one of the greatest villains and antagonists in the history of entertainment."
So crucial was Darth Vader to the series that the inclusion of the beloved character even began to overshadow the return of the titular Jedi Master. "When he first came on set for us, it definitely had a very special feeling. The first time I saw him in costume, he was towering over me. He was literally almost twice my size!" adds Deborah Chow. "It's really intense to have such an iconic character, and then to be directing him and doing new scenes with him…. I do remember poor Ewan on that day being like, 'What am I, chopped liver?'"
The Obi-Wan Kenobi Trailer Has Now Landed & Could Be Exactly What Fans Were Hoping For
After years, and years of asking for an Obi-Wan Kenobi-led project, Star Wars fans have finally gotten their wish. And, after even more years of waiting, the first trailer for Obi-Wan Kenobi finally dropped earlier this week.
Obi-Wan Kenobi begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where Obi-Wan Kenobi faced his greatest defeat—the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, who turned to the dark side as evil Sith Lord Darth Vader. The series stars Ewan McGregor, reprising his role as the iconic Jedi, and also marks the return of Hayden Christensen in the role of Darth Vader. Joining the cast are Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell and Benny Safdie.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a limited series, and will begin streaming from May 25 on Disney+.