Disney and Lucasfilm have confirmed that Star Wars Prequel Trilogy star Hayden Christensen will be suiting up as Darth Vader for the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series. Christensen infamously played Anakin Skywalker as a young man in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Like Phantom Menace star Jake Lloyd, Christensen was the target of a lot of backlash from Star Wars fans who didn’t like his portrayal of Anakin. However, time changes perception, and nowadays the Star Wars Prequels get a lot more love from the generation that was raised on them.
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And so, as you can see below, Hayden Christensen has similarly gone from being the target of trolls to the new hope of Star Wars fans who are hyped for his Darth Vader portrayal, and reunion with Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan:
Pure Joy
IโM SO HAPPY THIS MAN IS COMING BACK!!!! ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ#HaydenChristensen pic.twitter.com/pSKpQDQnb4
โ Kareena (@DigitalBleachBB) December 11, 2020
A whole generation ofย Star Warsย fans is experiencing pure joy right now. This is the way.ย
Good Morning, Gents
good morning to hayden christensen and ewan mcgregor, and hayden christensen and ewan mcgregor only. pic.twitter.com/iQSSeB5aii
โ โ (@jesskuuuh) December 11, 2020
Star Warsย fans are ecstatic to see Christensen and Ewan McGregor getting this epic reunion. And really, it’s going to be the heart of this new series.ย
Prodigal Son Returns
The Prodigal Son has returned!!๐คฏ#HaydenChristensen pic.twitter.com/4jgVBP0M0g
โ Black Heroes (@BlackHeroes5) December 11, 2020
This is meant as a celebration – but the biblical parable about the Prodigal Son tells of a boy given a great inheritance, who goes out into the world and blows it all, and is still welcomed back home with open arms. So really, it’s more like throwing shade on the path of Hayden’s career.ย
The Bea Is Back
And to hear that the bae #HaydenChristensen will return as Vader for Obi-Wan Kenobi… Iโm screaming! pic.twitter.com/TOVoEuE2pE
โ Merlin (@MRLNwisp) December 11, 2020
Throw some salt on it.ย
Cannot Compute
Iโve been waiting for them to announce Hayden coming back to Star Wars for so long I donโt even know how to process the news #stanakin #HaydenChristensen pic.twitter.com/1u3EiT9Yu6
โ Morgane (@miuxo) December 11, 2020
Someย Star Warsย fans wish they had a cybernetic brain to process getting their long-awaited wish.ย
Back to the Dark Side
THE REASON I LIKE THE DARKSIDE ๐ค #HaydenChristensen #Anakin #StarWars pic.twitter.com/RTrgRCmCCd
โ PLK (@artbyplk) December 11, 2020
If you are looking for fans’ hearts after this announcement – check the shadow of the dark side. Hayden is the reason it looks so good…ย
Revenge On The Haters
Whatโs great about them bringing #HaydenChristensen back is that he gets to prove his detractors wrong, and I reckon they will have him becoming more and more injured as the show goes on. We will see his transformation from RotS to RotJ Anakin!
โ Regular Movie Geek ๐ช (@MovieUltimate) December 11, 2020
How much more will Kenobi inflict? pic.twitter.com/cTXwWPcr68
This is the chapter of theย Star Warsย saga that Hayden Christensen has been waiting to make: the one that proves all those PT trolls wrong.ย
Hayden’s Next Apperance
I hope in the #Ahsoka show we could get #HaydenChristensen as force ghost Anakin talking to Ahsoka. It’d be the coolest thing seeing Anakin and Ahsoka in one scene in live action. Come on @starwars @Disney please make this happen. pic.twitter.com/7ZaqaPeSrF
โ Zyron Kai ็ๅธซ (Let your voices be heard) (@TheExoticGuard_) December 11, 2020
Seeing Hayden suit-up as Vader is going to be epic; butย Star Warsย fans also want the happy ending of seeing him – sans armor – making peace with his former padawan in theย newย Ahsokaย live-action series.ย
Dinsey+’sย Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobiย series is headed into production, withย The Mandalorian‘s Deborah Chow as showrunner.ย