#Hayden Christensen Will Return as Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ Miniseries

Hayden Christensen is making his way back to a galaxy far, far away. It has been confirmed that the actor will reprise his role as Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi, the upcoming event series centered on the iconic Jedi in the works at Disney+. Ewan McGregor has long been set to reprise his role from the Star Wars prequels in the series. This will mark a big-time reunion as the two haven’t shared the screen since the end of Revenge of the Sith.

Few details have been revealed about the plot but this sets up one of the biggest rematches in the history of the Star Wars franchise. Aside from the casting announcement, a brief teaser revealing the show’s title card was also revealed. It was shared with the following message, confirming that the story will take place ten years after the events of Revenge of the Sith.
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“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 Disney+.”

Originally, the plan was for Obi-Wan to return in a new Star Wars movie. However, once Solo bombed at the box office, Disney and Lucasfilm began retooling plans for the franchise, shifting away from solo spin-offs. It was then determined that an event series would be the best way to go. Deborah Chow, who previously directed episodes of The Mandalorian, is set to helm the series. Unlike The Mandalorian, which has new directors for each episode, Chow is expected to be behind the camera for the entirety of the series.

Hayden Christensen first appeared as Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones. He reprised the role in Revenge of the Sith, which saw Anakin complete his transformation into Darth Vader. Obi-Wan and his former apprentice had a bitter and violent duel on Mustafar, resulting in Anakin being left for dead and burnt to a crisp. So having Christensen, specifically, back as Vader, carries some emotional weight, even though Vader and Obi-Wan eventually crossed sabers again, chronologically speaking, in A New Hope. Christensen hasn’t appeared in a Star Wars project, in live-action, since Revenge of the Sith. Though he did lend his voice to the conclusion of The Rise of Skywalker.

For many years, the prequels were maligned by fans. However, largely thanks to shows like The Clone Wars, they have since been embraced by much of the fanbase. Disney, in the sequel trilogy, largely avoided this era in the timeline. So the idea of firmly rooting this show in the prequels is significant.

Lucasfilm also has many other Star Wars shows in the works, including an Ahsoka series, a Lando show, Andor, Acolyte, Rangers of the New Republic and more. Given the success of The Mandalorian, TV is going to be the future of the franchise. Obi-Wan Kenobi is set to begin filming next year. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as further details are made available. Be sure to check out the title teaser from the Star Wars Twitter account.

Topics: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars