Star Wars fans were plenty excited when it was announced that Ewan McGregor would be returning as Obi-Wan Kenobi in a limited series for Disney+. That excitement grew even more after Lucasfilm revealed Hayden Christensen was also coming back to a galaxy far, far away. Christensen and McGregor were the anchors for the much maligned Star Wars prequel trilogy, which came to an end with Revenge of the Sith in 2005. While McGregor’s performance in the trio of films was generally well regarded, Christensen received a much different response for his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker. However, absence makes the heart grow fonder, which has been the case for Christensen’s return to the franchise. Fans have welcomed the actor back with open arms, which he recently told the Hollywood Reporter has been a tremendous experience:

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While Christensen is indeed returning to the character of Anakin, it’s in a completely different form than what the role was in the prequels. In Obi-Wan Kenobi, Christensen has the chance to play an Anakin that has fully transformed into Darth Vader, something that was only briefly seen at the tail end of Revenge of the Sith. Even though Christensen is donning the full Darth Vader outfit, he believes Anakin is still a significant part of the Sith Lord:

“I’ve gotten so many nice messages from people, from friends, showing their support. And it’s just it’s been a great honor for me to get to come back to this character and to feel the support from the fans. It is hugely meaningful for me and ultimately, that’s the reason why we get to come back and do all this. So yeah, I value their feelings a lot.”

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“I always see Anakin as a throughline and an undercurrent to the character. Vader is trying his best to kill off that side of him, but there always has to be a little bit of Anakin in there. And that presents itself, and that’s a part of the fun. I’m always thinking about the Anakin aspect of the character.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi May Not Be the Last of Hayden Christensen in Star Wars

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Since Christensen’s return has been met so positively, it’s hard to imagine that Obi-Wan Kenobi will be his Star Wars swan song. Last October, a report surfaced that Christensen would be joining the Ahsoka series, but the casting hasn’t been confirmed by Disney or Lucasfilm … even though Ahsoka herself may have let the cat out of the bag. There’s enough enthusiasm behind Christensen being back in the Star Wars fold that there’s been speculation about a possible Darth Vader or Anakin-centric Disney+ series, which is something the actor would be open to.

Even though Christensen is back, his actual face has barely been seen through four episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi. There’s been a handful of shots of Anakin in a bacta tank, but those have obviously required a heavy amount of makeup and prosthetics. To feel the full impact of having Christensen play Anakin once again, a flashback sequence in one of the final two episodes could be the ideal way to do so. Seeing Christensen in full Jedi garb would be the cherry on top of the actor’s emotional Star Wars comeback story.