Canadian actor Hayden Christensen has to physically prepare himself to get ready to play Darth Vader again. Christensen played the Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels and became Darth Vader by turning to the dark side in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
The actor wore the famous suit for two scenes in the prequel finale and will be seen wearing it again in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Deborah Chow directed Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the fan desired projects that came back after a decade of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Apart from McGregor and Christensen, the cast includes Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Moses Ingram, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, Sung Kang, Maya Erskine, Kumail Nanjiani, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and Benny Safdie.
Christensen’s Preparation for Darth Vader
Christensen in an interview discussed the making of the upcoming Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi adding he had to bulk up to fit into the Darth Vader suit again. “Most of my work on this project was in preparation,” Christensen stated. “The physical preparation was intense. I had to put on a decent amount of weight and size to fill up the suit.” This can be an indication for the fans that the Star Wars have something up in their sleeves. Christensen told that “We’re more in line with the prequels than we are with how the fights are in the original trilogy. These characters have aged, but not that much yet.”
What will Darth Vader Present to the Fans?
Apart from his intense preparation for the role of Darth Vader, Christensen also revealed what fans can expect from Darth Vader once the series Obi-Wan Kenobi arrives on the streaming platform. The actor explained, “He’s a very complex character, and there’s an inherent struggle of identity that is always present – there’s inner conflict.” He added, “He’s always going to be struggling with the loss of Padme. He’s got Anakin buried deep down inside. There always has to be that element of Anakin there, because he does eventually find redemption in the end – through the love of his son, no less.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi is set to premiere on Disney+ on May 27.