Speculation has been running rampant for months that Hayden Christensen could be the latest Star Wars alumni to make a long-awaited return to a galaxy far, far away, and it was confirmed yesterday that the actor would be reprising the role of Anakin Skywalker in Obi-Wan Kenobi. His performances in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith may not have set the world alight, but a combination of absence and nostalgia has made the hearts of fans around the world grow much fonder.
At least he won’t have to spout George Lucas’ terrible dialogue this time around, and Christensen has become a much better actor in the last fifteen years than the relative unknown who was thrown into the deep end to take on one of the most iconic roles in cinema that came burdened with impossible expectations. We know that Obi-Wan Kenobi is set ten years after Revenge of the Sith as well, and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy has now hyped Christensen and Ewan McGregor clashing for the rematch of the century.
“Obi-Wan Kenobi begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Revenge of the Sith, where he faced his greatest defeat, the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker turned evil Sith Lord Darth Vader. Our fans will be thrilled that Hayden Christensen will be returning in the role of Darth Vader. This will be the rematch of the century.”
The relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan almost had to be the driving force behind the story, with their dynamic dating back decades to when Qui-Gon Jinn’s Padawan first met the precocious youngster in The Phantom Menace, a thread that was carried through Episodes II and III, as well as The Clone Wars animated series.
The timeline now places Obi-Wan Kenobi roughly nineteen years before A New Hope, when the title hero and Darth Vader had their final showdown. Presumably, then, the upcoming Disney Plus series will tell parallel tales of the Jedi Master living his life in exile as Anakin embraces his role as the most powerful and evil figure in the galaxy, and fireworks are guaranteed when they cross paths again.
