Darth Vader Actor Hayden Christensen Teases How Obi-Wan Kenobi Connects Original Trilogy to Prequels

Darth Vader will make his first live-action appearance since 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Hayden Christensen is set to return as the character opposite Ewan McGregor in the titular role. This is the first time the pair have returned in the role since Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Christensen seems to think the series will have a lot of connections to projects that came before it, including the prequels. While speaking with Total Film( via Star Wars News Net), the actor teased how Obi-Wan Kenobi connects the original trilogy with the prequels.

"We're more in line with the prequels than we are with how the fights are in the original trilogy," Christensen revealed. "These characters have aged, but not that much yet. It's been a very rewarding experience in that regard, and it's been really nice to have this wave of positivity over the prequel films. And to see that expression come across has been really nice."

"We're adding more connective tissue, and so that has to line up. That was something that I was cognizant of, even when we were doing the prequels, in knowing that there's someone else that played this character before me and after me, and we have to find something that feels right. I spent a lot of time just watching all the Star Wars stuff I could, from the original films to all of the animated shows — Clone Wars, Rebels, and all of that." The Darth Vader actor added.

Even though McGregor and Christensen have previously worked together on the Star Wars prequel trilogy,  Christensen only played Anakin Skywalker. MacGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi never met Vader. Now, it seems that that changed on the set of the Disney+ series, and the experience left an impression on McGregor. 

"I've never met Darth Vader," McGregor tells Total Film, which features the star as Kenobi on its latest cover. "I had rehearsed the scene with Vader, but not with the helmet on or anything like that. When we came to do the scene, when they shouted 'action', he had to come from behind me. I turned around, and fucking Darth Vader was coming at me. It was like I was six again. I'd never acted into Vader's helmet. I'd never looked him in the eye."

Obi-Wan Kenobi will premiere May 27th, 2022 on Disney+. The series stars Ewan McGregor, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Sung Kang, Moses Ingram, Indira Varama, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Rupert Friend, Simone Kessell and Benny Sadfie. 

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