Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Ewan McGregor on Hayden Christensen’s “Spine-Tingling” Darth Vader Return

A decade after their fated duel on Mustafar, Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) and Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) meet again in Obi-Wan Kenobi. When the Star Wars spinoff reunites master and padawan for the first time since Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, it’s for a title match touted as the rematch of the century. In a galaxy not so far, far away, 17 years have passed since McGregor and Christensen traded lightsaber swings in the finale to George Lucas’ Star Wars prequels trilogy. In Obi-Wan Kenobi, premiering May 25 on Disney+, Christensen suits up as the Sith Lord for the first time since 2005. 

“To see Hayden back in the role of Anakin, well, it was sort of spine-tingling. It was amazing. It was just amazing to see Hayden, full stop,” McGregor told Entertainment Weekly. “I’m so close with him, we’ve stayed in touch over the years, but we haven’t seen each other for a long time … We had this long catchup. It was so lovely. It just had been years since we actually saw each other. Not for any reason other than just locations … but I love him so much. We have a very special bond of making two of those first three films together.” 

Stepping back onto a Star Wars set with Christensen after so much time had passed “was just odd,” added McGregor, who first starred opposite the Anakin Skywalker actor in 2002’s Episode II – Attack of the Clones. 

“It was, oddly, it was like time hadn’t happened. I looked across at him, we’re on a set, and I look over at him. He’s Anakin now, I’m Obi-Wan now, and it’s like nothing had happened,” McGregor said. “I didn’t see any age on his face. I just felt like the period of time between Episode III and now didn’t exist, or something. It was so peculiar.” 

In Obi-Wan Kenobi, the story begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where Kenobi faced his greatest defeat: the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, turned evil Sith Lord Darth Vader. Also starring Kumail Nanjiani, Sung Kang, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Moses Ingram, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, Simone Kessell,Benny Safdie, Bonnie Piesse, and Joel Edgerton, Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi is streaming May 25 on Disney+.

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