Lucasfilm's Debate Over Bringing Back Darth Vader Revealed

Hayden Christensen returns as Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi, but Lucasfilm executives needed some convincing to make the final decision.

Lucasfilm's Debate Over Bringing Back Darth Vader Revealed

Lucasfilm’s debate over bringing back Darth Vader for Obi-Wan Kenobi is revealed. The upcoming Star Wars TV series is part of the franchise’s ongoing small-screen expansion, which will see several new shows debut on Disney+ over the next couple of years. The miniseries starring Ewan McGregor in the title role is next on deck, with the Obi-Wan Kenobi release date set for Friday, May 27.

Fans have long clamored for the McGregor’s return to the character he played throughout the prequel trilogy, with his performance having been a rare universal point of praise for movies that have enjoyed a fluctuating reception. Now equally exciting for many, however, is the return of Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker in the latter two Star Wars prequel films and gets the chance to play a full-fledged Darth Vader. While it’s still unknown just how prominent a role the legendary Sith Lord will play in Obi-Wan Kenobi, the fact that Lucasfilm is revisiting the character at all, and Christensen’s version in particular, struck many prospective viewers as remarkable.

Now, a major Star Wars franchise feature from Vanity Fair reveals the behind-the-scenes Lucasfilm discussion on whether to bring back Darth Vader. Series director Deborah Chow was a major champion of the idea, believing that a Obi-Wan Vader rematch was crucial to exploring the title character’s emotional state. Lucasfilm executives were eventually sold on the idea that this duel could enhance their confrontation in A New Hope, but the conversation had plenty of back and forth, as a lead development chief and Obi-Wan Kenobi executive producer Michelle Rejwan explains:

We have these what-if conversations 24/7. It’s fun to, in your head, peruse the Star Wars toy store. ‘Oh, we could have this character, or feature that ship.’ But at the end of the day, we really need to keep it pure about why.

Ultimately, Chow’s Obi-Wan Darth Vader rematch reason was actually about continuing what she saw as a love story that had developed throughout the prequels, and left McGregor’s protagonist with so much pain. He will certainly be in a dark place at the start of this show, now living in the wake of Order 66 and the devastation of his Jedi Order. The potential to face his fallen former Padawan again will only be one of Obi-Wan’s many concerns, and perhaps not something he’ll have to deal with until the Obi-Wan Kenobi series finale.

Instead, Kenobi will have to dodge the Imperial Inquisitors, especially Moses Ingram’s Reva/the Third Sister, who is tasked with hunting down the remaining Jedi still in hiding. The Obi-Wan Kenobi show trailer has positioned McGregor’s hero as somewhat of a white whale for Reva, who seems to be relentless in her pursuit, though much of the story remains unknown. Thankfully for eager Star Wars fans, there’s only a week left to wait before Obi-Wan returns to screens again, though the first glimpse at Darth Vader might be a bit further away.