Hayden Christensen Open to Darth Vader Star Wars Spinoff

Nearly two decades after Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, actor Hayden Christensen is turning back to the dark side in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Christensen played Anakin Skywalker, the padawan knight of Jedi Master Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor), in two episodes of George Lucas’ Star Wars prequels trilogy between 2002 and 2005. The Darth Vader actor rises again in Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, a limited series set in-between the events of Sith and A New Hope, and will reportedly reprise his role as the Sith Lord in Ahsoka, starring Rosario Dawson as Skywalker’s former apprentice.

During an interview with ET Canada, Christensen was asked if he would be open to leading his own Star Wars spinoff as Darth Vader. “Yeah, I mean, absolutely,” he said. “I think this is a character that resonates in our culture in a very kind of profound way, and there’s certainly more there to explore.” 

Christensen noted the Dark Lord of the Sith has headlined his own comic book series from Marvel Comics, with Darth Vader’s story being told “in these other mediums” outside the episodic Star Wars saga. 

 He added, “I would love to get to continue my journey with him.” 

The six-episode Obi-Wan Kenobi is Christensen’s first time wearing the Darth Vader armor since Anakin Skywalker succumbed to the dark side in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith, and Vader’s first live-action appearance since Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in 2016. (Actors Spencer Wilding and Daniel Naprous physically portrayed Vader in the spinoff film set just before the events of A New Hope.) 

Recounting his emotional experience suiting up as Vader after a 17-year absence from the galaxy far, far away, Christensen previously told On Demand Entertainment, “It was surreal. It’s an incredible costume, and putting it back on again brought up a lot of emotions for me. It’s amazing to get to wear it, it’s an honor to put it on. Just a lot of fun, really.” 

Starring Ewan McGregor, Moses Ingram, Rupert Friend, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Indira Varma, Sung Kang, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Benny Safdie, Kumail Nanjiani, and Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader, Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi is streaming May 27 on Disney+.