The return of Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader in the Star Wars universe has been a long time coming. Now that he has reprised the role of the Sith Lord, there are many fans eager to know whether this will be the last time we see him as Vader or whether more opportunities are coming in the future. While promoting the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series in Total Film (via GamesRadar+), Christensen addressed whether there is a chance we could see him again after the new Disney+ series. He said:
“When George [Lucas] had brought me onto the prequels, it was to play Anakin… 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 emotional state of Darth Vader, has been a lot of fun… The extent of the 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.”
While everyone knows where Vader’s story began and where it ends, there is still a lot of time between those events that has not played out on screen, and as Christensen said, that is a lot of character development that could yet be explored. There will certainly be plenty of opportunities for Vader’s story to be further expanded in some of the other projects currently in production, including Ahsoka, which is rumored to include his next appearance.
Darth Vader Could Still Get His Own Movie or Series
Darth Vader is one of the greatest movie villains of all time. While returning to a character like that again and again can end up tarnishing the crown, there are certainly a lot of Star Wars fans who cannot wait to see Vader’s return in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Of course, at one point in time, it looked like Vader would have his own movie, just like the original plan for Obi-Wan Kenobi’s return. Will this now happen? There is no way of telling but with Disney+ needing more content and the Star Wars franchise providing a large chunk of that, there is a strong possibility that Vader will be called on again sometime in the future.
In the meantime, Vader is clearly going to be a big presence in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, even if Christensen does not always play him. Most reports have confirmed that three different actors portrayed the role depending on whether Vader was standing, fighting, or is seen without his helmet, which looks pretty likely for Christensen’s face to be seen in the series. There has also been no word so far whether James Earl Jones is also returning to the franchise to give Vader his iconic voice. With only a month to go until the series kicks off with a double episode on Disney+ on May 27, there is not long left until we begin another Star Wars journey.