Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Hayden Christensen Offers the Vaguest of Clues to Darth Vader’s Return

Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Hayden Christensen Offers the Vaguest of Clues to Darth Vader’s Return

We’ve seen the trailer. We’ve broken it down. We’ve heard from star Ewan McGregor about his return to the Star Wars galaxy. Now it’s time to hear from McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series’ co-star Hayden Christensen, who will be putting on Darth Vader’s helmet again to menace his former Jedi master — and what he reveals may surprise you, if only because Christensen doesn’t reveal anything at all.

The interview, if you can call it that, comes from Entertainment Weekly, also includes the first picture of Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi… which looks very much like any picture of Vader. Here he appears to be striding out of one of his meditation chambers, perhaps one located in his castle on Mustafar:

Image: Lucasfilm (via Entertainment Weekly)
Image: Lucasfilm (via Entertainment Weekly)

It’s impossible to know, because Lucasfilm (like its sister studio Marvel) is so withholding of information about its content that the company got mad when an employee mentioned the release date of the show five days earlier than planned. That secrecy extends to what its actors can say about the series and the characters they play, which means this is everything Christensen is allowed to say about the Dark Lord of the Sith in the interview: “We’re going to see a very powerful Vader.” When asked whether Christensen might be making an appearance on the show sans helmet, the actor could only reply, “I wish I could tell you. I’m sworn to secrecy.”

You certainly are, my good man! At least we got confirmation that Rupert Friend will be playing the Grand Inquisitor, alongside yesterday’s confirmations of his fellow Inquisitorial allies: Moses Ingram as the Third Sister, Fast & Furious’ Sung Kang as the Fifth Brother, and Indira Varma an Imperial officer, thanks to the trailer that came out yesterday. They’ll be joined by Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse as Owen and Beru Lars, respectively, and of course McGregor and Christensen.

Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres May 25 on Disney+.