Obi-Wan Kenobi is nearing its streaming debut soon and the most talked about facet of the show is, of course, Hayden Christensen’s return as Anakin Skywalker, now turned into Darth Vader. Also starring in the show is Ewan McGregor, who’ll reunite with Christensen after a 17-year gap since they both worked in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. Also reprising from previous films are Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse. But there’s one particular actor whose reprisal is still in the dark and fans don’t know what the studio plans to do about it.
We are talking about James Earl Jones. The actor behind that iconic voice of Darth Vader. While Christensen played Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars Prequels, Jones voiced the character in all the live-action films he appeared in, with David Prowse, Bob Anderson, and Spencer Wildling donning the suit on set.
In Obi-Wan Kenobi, Christensen will don Vader’s suit, but it’s still not confirmed who’ll voice him. When speaking to Total Film, Christensen had only one response when asked about James Earl Jones’ potential return to the series.
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That’s all he said, cleverly avoiding the veteran actor’s involvement in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
James Earl Jones is the primary reason behind Darth Vader’s stature as the grand villain in the Star Wars Saga. Darth Vader’s look and personality is of a large figure whose life is supported by robotic implants, with his voice being changed through his suit. Since Vader’s face isn’t visible, his voice is what signifies him and that’s how fans recognize him. Though fans would certainly wish to see James Earl Jones return to the role, it’s possible that Lucasfilm may have figured out another way to voice the character.
Will Lucasfilms Use Respeecher for Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi?
Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker made a surprise return to the saga in The Mandalorian. But his appearance was digitally de-aged and the character's voice was created using a voice synthesizer called Respeecher. If the studio had wanted Jones to voice Vader, they wouldn't have brought back Hayden Christensen to stand in with the suit. It's possible that the studio wishes for Christensen to have a more significant role in continuation of his final appearance in Revenge of the Sith. And that's why they may focus on the character's distinct development solely through Christensen. Even Christensen's excitement over his return to the role hints at it as well.
In the same conversation, Hayden Christensen reflected on his previous appearance and how he is looking forward to continuing that journey.
He gets knighted as Darth Vader towards the end, and for a couple of scenes, I get to put the suit on. But my journey with the character was with Anakin Skywalker. But the character? He’s such a complex character. And now, getting to explore the mindset and the emotional state of Darth Vader has been a lot of fun.
Also talking about the speculations surrounding his return in the upcoming original Ahsoka, and his future in the franchise, he said,
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.
For Star Wars fans, James Earl Jones's return to the franchise would be a delight, but surely, so would watching Hayden Christensen carry on the legacy of the character and unravel his initial development as Darth Vader right after he became the Sith lord.