Today it was announced that Star Wars Celebration Orlando will be hosting quite the lineup for its “40 Years of Star Wars” panel, in honor of the franchise’s 40th anniversary this year.
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The lineup of famous names includes Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Billy Dee WIlliams, Ian McDiarmid, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and Clone Wars/Rebels producer Dave Filoni. However, there will also be a prodigal son returning to the celebration for the first time in a long, long, time: Hayden Christensen.
The timing has us wondering: Is Christensen simply returning to Star Wars Celebration Orlando due to the anniversary occasion – or does the actor have project with Lucasfilm lined up? Could there be a Star Wars Darth Vader movie in the works?
Vader has been a figure of renewed interest and attention, within the official new Disney/Lucasfilm canon. His presence during the early days of the Rebellion has been made felt in the Star Wars Rebels animated series and in the Rogue One standalone movie; he’s already had one Marvel Comics series examining his low-point after being defeated by Luke Skywalker in A New Hope, and a second series (about his first year(s) as Vader after Revenge of the Sith) is due out this summer. With Star Wars filmmakers teasing the idea of seeing more iconic Vader elements in future films, it’s not hard to think that an actual film centered around the villain could be on the way.
…Especially now that blockbuster geek films with more adult tones and ratings are a proven product block. After Rogue One’s terrifying ending scene, we here at Comicbook.com were some of the first to ask if an R-Rated Darth Vader movie was a good idea. The fanbase seemed split on the notion of Star Wars going that dark, but it’s still a very viable possibility. There’s no telling what the story would be – but we have some of our own ideas to share (see below).
MORE: Why We Need an R-Rated Darth Vader Movie
Either way, having a full Vader movie would pretty much necessitate having Christensen on board. His likeness is still used for Anakin/Vader in the animated series, so to keep things straight in continuity, any face shown under a Vader helmet in a Star Wars movie from now on should be Christensen’s.
More than that, though, there are plenty of fans who would like to see the actor get another chance at glory in the franchise. Seeing him tear it up in a Darth Vader movie would be satisfying on a lot of levels.
Star Wars Celebration Orlando takes place on April 13 – 16 at the Orange County Convention Center. Be sure to be on our Star Wars Channel those days for all the big announcements!
Star Wars: The Last Jedi to premiere in theaters on December 15.
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