Thanks to the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, Hayden Christensen is finally returning to the Star Wars universe as Darth Vader – and the actor could not be happier.
"When George [Lucas] had brought me onto the prequels, it was to play Anakin," Christensen tells Total Film in the new issue of the magazine, which features Obi-Wan Kenobi on the cover.
"He gets knighted as Darth Vader towards the end, and for a couple of scenes I get to put the suit on. But my journey with the character was with Anakin Skywalker. But the character? He’s such a complex character. And now, getting to explore the mindset and the emotional state of Darth Vader, has been a lot of fun.
Christensen's tight-lipped when it comes to revealing any specifics about returning to the role – he says "no comment" when asked whether James Earl Jones will voice the character in the upcoming Disney Plus series. And while Christensen won't confirm reports that he will return for the new spin-off series about Ashoka Tano, he does tease that his own journey with Vader may not be complete just yet.
"The extent of this journey, I think, remains to be seen," he says. "But what a privilege to get to come back and do this, and to be a part of this project."
Could that mean a Darth Vader series after the Obi-Wan show? Christensen won't say a thing. For the minute, though, we can simply enjoy having the actor back in that galaxy far, far away.
In the cover story of the new issue of Total Film magazine, Christensen, Ewan McGregor, co-star Moses Ingram, and director Deborah Chow talk in-depth about Obi-Wan and his new adventure. Elsewhere in the feature, McGregor spoke about being "shit scared" when it came to facing down Vader, and Chow revealed that Darth Maul was never going to be part of the series, despite reports.
The first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi will premiere on Disney Plus on Friday, May 27, with subsequent episodes premiering on Wednesdays. For much more from McGregor and co, check out the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves on Thursday, April 28.
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