Obi-Wan Kenobi: Hayden Christensen Details Anakin Skywalker Return (Exclusive)

By Brandon Davis

"Duel of the Fates" started to take over the arena at Anaheim's Convention Center just a few weeks ago as a live choir belted it out to thousands of excited Star Wars fans. The stage turned red. Some smoke began to fill the air. The energy in the room shifted into something palpable. From either side of the stage, Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen emerged before centering themselves together, embracing their returns to the Star Wars world for the first time since their work as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, respectively, in the prequel trilogy. Now, following Episode 5 of Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi series, they are certainly back on screen together and the only person more excited than the fans might be Christensen.

"When we finished the prequels, that was the end of my journey with Star Wars and I just went back to being a fan again," Christensen said. "And I really enjoyed it, just watching these new films and TV shows like everyone else. But yeah, I kept up with it." He has a lot of fun with the content, too. Whether it's thinking about how there is "interesting stuff there to theorize about," like Grogu and Darth Vader having an encounter or if Qui-Gon Jinn could have saved Anakin Skywalker from turning the Dark Side, Christensen knows the character so well that falling back into the character, "came naturally."

The entrance at Star Wars Celebration showed just how exciting and natural the return seems to be, both for fans and Christensen. See it for yourself in the video featured in the tweet below.

In fact, Christensen has had decades to analyze the psyche of Anakin Skywalker and the Darth Vader character he becomes. "Well, I don't think anyone that's a villain actually regards themself as the villain," Christensen said. "So, no, I think Anakin just feels like he was mistreated by the Jedi and needed to find a different path, and through no fault of his own really wound up with a different set of circumstances." As a result, Anakin is seeking out revenge against Obi-Wan throughout the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. 

Christensen's prequel films have grown in popularity since their release. Originally frowned upon by critics and fans, the conversation has shifted with a new appreciation for titles like Revenge of the Sith. If the energy in that Arena back in the end of May was any indication, the Force is strong with the fandom's opinion of Christensen playing Anakin Skywalker again. If Christensen got his way, those fans would have some more returns to be excited about. "I really enjoyed everyone I worked with on the prequels," Christensen said. "I think it would be a lot of fun to get to do another scene with Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine, or Sidious, I should say. But yeah. I mean, Natalie [Portman]. I don't know. There's lots of fun stuff there to think about."

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Anakin Skywalker's face time has been quite limited throughout five episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Christensen has only shown his full face in new footage for two episodes through the first five but his Darth Vader character has been featured heavily. Christensen does limited work as Vader, putting on the full costume for some sequences but admitting that a team is required to bring the iconic villain to life. "It is a collective effort because of the height difference, really," Christensen said. "There's some stuff where you have these perspective shots and you just need to have the full height of the character. And for me to do that, I'd have to have five, six inch lifts in my shoes and then walking becomes even more challenging."

The full interview with Christensen can be seen in the video above or on the ComicBook.com YouTube channel now. What have you thought of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series so far? Share your thoughts in the comment section or send them my way on Twitter! Obi-Wan Kenobi is available now on Disney+ with the finale set to release on June 22.

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