Disney and Lucasfilm’s plans for the future of theStar Warsfranchise include a series centered on Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi. Now, a new rumor suggests Hayden Christensen may be reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker in the forthcoming Disney+ series.
Canadian actor Hayden Christensen portrayed young Anakin Skywalker in the final two chapters of George Lucas’Star Warsprequel trilogy,Attack of the ClonesandRevenge of Sith, buthis performance as the fallen Jedi was not well-receivedby fans of the franchise. Since then, Christensen has gravitated towards smaller or lesser-known projects and only returned to theStar Warsfranchise for a vocal cameo appearance inThe Rise of Skywalker.
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YouTube channel Kessel Run Transmissions claims its source has told it that Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker will appear in the Obi-Wan Kenobi show through a series of flashbacks depictingkey moments in the Clone Wars. The channel also alleges that Anakin will don the “clone armour” worn by the character in the animatedClone Warsseries and that Darth Vader, the villain Skywalker eventually becomes, will also appear in the Disney+ show. Additional characters from the Clone Wars era reportedly returning include Commander Cody and the 212thAttack Battalion, though Disney has not confirmed these rumors.
The untitled Obi-Wan Kenobi series was reportedly put on hold back in January due to script issues beforeJohn Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellumwriter Joby Haroldwas brought on board to pen the project in April 2020. While production was originally scheduled to begin in 2020, the delays prompted Disney and Lucasfilm to push back the start date to January 2021. Additional projects being developed for Disney+ by Lucasfilm include aRogue Oneprequel centered on Cassian Andor, a female-centric show fromRussian Dollcreator Leslye Headland, and animated series titledThe Bad Batch.
While Hayden Christensen’s return to theStar Warsfranchise may be a surprise considering the poor response to the character in the mid-2000s, feelings towards his performance and the prequel trilogy have grown more positive among a segment of the fan base. AfterThe Rise of Skywalkerconcluded the sequel trilogy on what iswidely perceived to be a negative note, credit has often been given the prequel trilogy for at least trying to tell a different story as opposed to rehashing elements from the original trilogy, a common criticism directed towardsThe Force AwakensandThe Rise of Skywalker.
On the other hand, even if attitudes towards Christensen’s performance haven’t changed, a return to the role of Anakin Skywalker might provide the actor with the opportunity to bow out of the franchise on a high note. After all, theClone Warsseries has arguably proven that the character can earn a fanbase if the writing strong enough.
The Obi-Wan Kenobi series does not have an announced release date yet.
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