Hayden Christensen on Darth Vader Return: ‘It’s a Great Honor to Get to Put That Suit on’

One of this spring’s most anticipated television shows is “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” the new Disney+ series designed to bridge the gap between the original “Star Wars” trilogy and the prequel movies. Two of the biggest stars from George Lucas’ prequel trilogy are reprising their roles, with Ewan McGregor playing Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen returning as Darth Vader.

For Christensen, the stakes could not be higher. Disney’s “Star Wars” films and series have been very hit-or-miss for the passionate fanbase, and every move that he makes as the iconic villain will be endlessly scrutinized. But in a new interview with EW, Christensen did not seem particularly nervous.

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“Well, without getting into too much detail, it was amazing,” Christensen said. “It’s a great honor to get to put that suit on.”

He went on to say that his familiarity with the character made it easy to slip back into the role, and praised the show’s writing for making the story feel natural.

“It was mostly a lot of excitement because I had spent enough time with this character and felt like I knew him, and coming back to it felt very natural in a lot of ways,” Christensen said. “And I was just really excited to get to come in and play Darth Vader at this point in the timeline because it did feel like a natural continuation of your journey with the character. And that was very meaningful for me.”

Christensen said that the entire process of filming “Obi-Wan Kenobi” was a nostalgic experience for him, and not just because he got to put the Darth Vader helmet back on. The actor expressed equal excitement for Ewan McGregor’s return as the titular hero.

“I can tell you the first time that I saw Ewan as Obi-Wan again, that was a very special moment for me,” he said. “One that I’ll remember for a very, very long time.”

In the end, Christensen sounded just as excited about the series as the fans watching from home. He emphasized that the “Star Wars” brand and community is much bigger than him, and explained that the excitement of being on set in a galaxy far, far away never gets old.

“One of the things I loved so much about working on ‘Star Wars’ projects is just that shared excitement,” he said. “That everyone’s real excited to be there. You feel that energy, and that’s a really special thing.”

“Obi-Wan Kenobi” premieres on Disney+ on Friday, May 27.

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