Hayden Christensen was virtually a complete unknown when he was cast in 2002's Attack of the Clones and it can't be denied that playing the role of an older Anakin Skywalker put an incredible amount of pressure on the actor who was only 19 at the time of filming Episode II.
Unfortunately, during the time, Hayden's portrayal of the character generated an unfavorable reception from diehard fans of the Star Wars franchise but over the years, the fandom has undoubtedly warmed up to the prequel trilogy.
Now, 17 years following the release of Revenge of the Sith, the 41-year-old actor is making his triumphant return to the Star Wars universe via the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, a comeback that is now being celebrated by the entire fandom.
Shockingly enough, Hayden has revealed that he didn't talk to George Lucas regarding his role in the series. Diehard Star Wars fans are well aware that the Anakin Skywalker actor was actually handpicked by Lucas. Speaking with Total Film, the actor explains: "I really felt like this was Deborah Chow’s story, and I really just wanted to follow her lead on this one. I think what she’s done here is just incredibly exciting."
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While it may have seemed like Christensen had a huge chip on his shoulder during his first Star Wars tenure, it's great that the fandom has embraced the prequel trilogy over the years. I mean, sure, it's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but it's still serviceable.
The first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi will premiere tomorrow, May 27th exclusively on Disney+.
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