Everyone likes the Star Wars prequels now, despite being criticised for poor acting, bad pacing, and clunky dialogue years ago. That’s why it’s nice to see Hayden Christensen get his flowers now that he’s returning to the franchise, reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader for Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+.
Fans have been anticipating Christensen’s return as Vader for a while now, with many disappointed that he wasn’t in The Rise of Skywalker. Now that he’s slated to appear in Obi-Wan Kenobi, it’s good to see him gain the high ground and receive praise from fans after years of hate. Christensen feels the same, expressing delight that fans are finally on his side.
Hayden Christensen feels the embrace of Star Wars fans
Speaking with William Mullally, Hayden explained that the positive response to his return has been “heartwarming”. After the vitriol he received in the the early 2000s, the new approach means a lot to him.
After years of fans and critics dunking on the actor’s performance as Anakin Skywalker, he is finally getting praise for what he did, noting “I guess the moral of the story is patience." If only Anakin learned that lesson in Revenge of the Sith.
Regardless of how you feel about the movies, we think it's fair to say that nerd culture hasn’t always been kind to Christensen’s performance as Anakin. Granted, there are legitimate criticisms to be had, but some took it too far and made it a point to attack the actor. The fact that he’s even returning to Star Wars is a miracle in itself, let alone him receiving praise.
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It was easy for Christensen to return to Star Wars
Despite all of the negativity he’s been on the receiving end on, Christensen said it was a “quick yes” to return to Star Wars for Obi-Wan Kenobi. The actor admits he’s been thinking about Anakin a lot, saying that Star Wars “never really leaves you,” noting how much of an impact the series continues to have on pop culture.
Christensen also brings up how fan support is another reason why it was easy for him to return. As mentioned earlier, there seem to be just as many Star Wars prequel fans as there are haters. “It’s a nice thing, my interaction with fans,” says Christensen. “When they tell me what those films meant to them, what the character meant to them… I really enjoyed getting to come back and further my journey with my character.”
Fans won’t have to wait too long for Hayden Christensen’s return to Star Wars as Obi-Wan Kenobi comes to Disney+ on May 27. In case anyone wants to relive the joy (and pain) of the Star Wars prequels, they can also go back to that as a primer for the show.
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