Hollywood star Hayden Christensen became a household name after being part of one of the biggest movie franchises, Star Wars. Created by George Lucas, the films saw Christensen play the marquee role of Anakin Skywalker who later becomes the series’ main antagonist Darth Vader in the third film of the prequel trilogy, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
The 2005 film gave the Jumper star many iconic moments including wearing the Darth Vader suit for the first time in a memorable scene where the character lowers his face into the mask to become the chilling antagonist. Surprisingly, Christensen was not seen again in the franchise or in the Darth Vader avatar after 2005 and was conspicuous with his absence in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story despite his character being featured in the film.
Hayden Christensen On His Absence From Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
In 2016, the Star Wars Saga continued its journey with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Set a week before Star Wars, the plot follows a group of rebels who join together to steal plans of the Death Star, the ultimate weapon of the Galactic Empire. The film also saw the appearance of the epic’s big antagonist Darth Vader. Surprisingly though, Hayden Christensen who played the role in the prequel trilogies in the early 2000s, did not reprise his role in the film. Instead, Pro boxer Spencer Wilding embodied the character during the early scenes while stuntman Daniel Naprous was used toward the end. When asked about his omission from the film, Christensen said,
“I wasn’t a part of any of those conversations about Rogue One. But I loved what they did with it. The character predates me, and it’s always been a collective effort in a lot of ways. I thought it was brilliant.”
Rogue One received critical acclaim from viewers and was also DC head James Gunn’s favorite film of the franchise with the director calling it the ‘most underrated Star Wars anything’. Despite missing out, Christensen showed his grace and respect towards the franchise that made him a name by showering appreciation for the film and its narrative.
Hayden Christensen’s Presence In Obi-Wan Kenobi Was A Treat For His Daughter
While Hayden Christensen may not have had the chance to reprise his role as Darth Vader in Rogue One, the Star Wars actor got another opportunity 27 years after Revenge of the Sith to get back into character again. In 2022, the Awake star signed on to play Darth Vader in the Disney+ miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi and reunited with his co-star Ewan McGregor. It was a double delight for Christensen as he took his daughter to set to witness his epic lightsaber battle with McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi.
“It was really nice getting to do the Obi-Wan show and actually bring her to set. Not when I was in the Darth Vader outfit, but we did the flashback sequence and I got to play Anakin. She got to see me swing a lightsaber with Ewan. She was very concerned for my wellbeing. She was afraid that one of us were going to get hurt”.
More recently, Christensen was seen playing Anakin Skywalker in the television miniseries Ahsoka which premiered on Disney+ on the 22nd August, 2023.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is available for rent on Apple TV.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is streaming on Disney+
Source: Entertainment Weekly
