We all had a lot of fun mocking Hayden Christensen’s performance in both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. But 30 years removed from the prequel trilogy capper, there has been a reevaluation. And while some may still despise it, Hayden Christensen has been wholly onboard with not only defending his turn as Anakin Skywalker (aka Darth Vader, in case ya didn’t know) but bringing him back if the chance arises.
Hayden Christensen recently appeared at Fan Expo Boston, where he was asked about the potential for him reprising Anakin, specifically when it comes down to doing a show around Darth Vader. As he put it, “A hundred percent. I’d love to, yeah. So if the powers that be decide that’s something that they want to see, I would be there in a heartbeat.”
Much respect to Hayden Christensen for embracing Anakin / Darth Vader, because we all know he got a lot of hate when the prequel trilogy was released (although the brunt unjustly went to Jake Lloyd). But he – and the fandom – has come a long way in the decades since, welcoming him back as he stepped in for voice work in the late 2010s before being physically seen as Anakin / Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka. As for the latter, Christensen signed on for season two, which began filming earlier this year.
Christensen has adapted quite well considering the hate he got upon his debut in the Star Wars universe (what with the sand and all). But his devotion now is quite admirable. Speaking on his devotion to Anakin / Darth Vader and his willingness to move forward with the character, Hayden Christensen previously said, “I would love to get to do more, and I’d love to get to continue with Star Wars and we’ll see. I don’t know what the future holds, and if such an opportunity presents itself, I’ll be there with a big smile on my face. And if it doesn’t, I feel really grateful for getting to come back…It has just been really nice to get to come back and do more with the character that has meant so much to me and that I really care about. And that has had such a significant impact on my life.”
Do you think a Darth Vader spin-off series with Hayden Christensen could work? Or is he best left to short-term appearances? Head into the dark side below and give us your below thoughts.
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