Hayden Christensen is confirmed to return as Darth Vader in the upcoming Star Wars Disney+ show Obi-Wan Kenobi alongside Ewan McGregor. The actor played Anakin Skywalker in the latter two of George Lucas' three prequel Star Wars movies, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. The prequel trilogy told Anakin's origin story, with Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith depicting the character's evolution into the villainous Darth Vader.

Last summer, Lucasfilm announced the live-action Obi-Wan Kenobi TV show was in development for Disney+. After years of fans begging for McGregor to return, he was announced to reprise his Star Wars prequels role as Obi-Wan Kenobi for the series. Unlike Christensen, McGregor appeared in all three of Lucas' prequel films as Obi-Wan Kenobi, first training under Qui-Gon Jinn then taking on the training of Anakin. In fact, it's Obi-Wan who defeats Anakin, only for the younger man to rise again as Darth Vader. When the pair meet later in the timeline - in Lucas' original Star Wars - the tables are turned and Darth Vader kills Obi-Wan. Now, the show is bringing back Darth Vader for the Obi-Wan show.

Related: Star Wars Theory: How Vader Returns In Obi-Wan Without Breaking A New Hope

During the Disney Investor Day 2020 presentation, Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy confirmed Hayden Christensen will return as Darth Vader in the upcoming Obi-Wan show. In addition to confirming Vader, Kennedy revealed the show will be set 10 years after the events of Revenge of the Sith. Star Wars also unveiled a title treatment for the Obi-Wan Kenobi show, which can be seen below.

As one of the most iconic figures in Star Wars history, the return of Darth Vader is no doubt exciting and with the show set a decade after their last meeting, any potential reunion between Anakin and Obi-Wan is sure to fraught. However, like the Obi-Wan Kenobi show as a whole, it's unclear how Lucasfilm will reconcile the series with the Star Wars timeline. After battling Anakin, Obi-Wan exiles himself to live on Tatooine, where he watches over the young Luke Skywalker and becomes known as Ben Kenobi. The original films indicated Obi-Wan spent all of those years on Tatooine, but the Kenobi show seems to hint that isn't the case, which may lead to the series contradicting canon.

That said, Lucasfilm and its creatives are a stickler for canon and if showrunners Deborah Chow and Hossein Amini have found a compelling story to explore that brings back Darth Vader and explores more of Obi-Wan Kenobi's story, it has the potential to be a major hit. The Mandalorian on Disney+ has shown just how popular a Star Wars live-action show can be, and with the addition of Christensen returning as Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi is shaping up to be a true event-style series. Whether it lives up to the hype remains to be seen, though, especially considering how long fans have waited for both Christensen and McGregor to return to their Star Wars roles. Still, Obi-Wan Kenobi is sure to be worth checking out for fans of Star Wars, especially the prequels.

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Obi-Wan Kenobi will premiere on Disney+ in the coming years.

Source: Star Wars