Obi-Wan Kenobi actor Hayden Christensen revealed the extent of physical preparation he put in to getting ready to play Darth Vader again.
In an interview in the most recent issue of Total Film, Christensen discussed the making of the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series, as well as how much of his job was in the gym rather than on set. "Most of my work on this project was in preparation," Christensen said. "The physical preparation was intense. I had to put on a decent amount of weight and size to fill up the suit." The actor also gave audiences a hint that his physical preparation wasn't just for the suit. When asked about the fight scenes in the series, Christensen remarked that "We're more in line with the prequels than we are with how the fights are in the original trilogy. These characters have aged, but not that much yet."
Apart from bulking up to reprise his role as Darth Vader, Christensen also discussed what fans can expect to see from the character once Obi-Wan Kenobi arrives on the small screen. The actor explained, "He's a very complex character, and there's an inherent struggle of identity that is always present - there's inner conflict." He expounded on that conflict, saying, "He's always going to be struggling with the loss of Padme. He's got Anakin buried deep down inside. There always has to be that element of Anakin there, because he does eventually find redemption in the end - through the love of his son, no less."
Obi-Wan Kenobi is set to follow the titular Jedi, portrayed by Ewan McGregor, during his life in exile after the Galactic Empire's rise to prominence. Presumably, audiences will also see plenty of Christensen's Darth Vader in his hunt for his former master. This will also be Christensen's most expansive turn as Darth Vader, as he only received a single climactic scene as the fully formed Sith Lord over the course of the Prequel Trilogy. Christensen himself discussed this iteration of the character as being "100 percent a fully realized Vader. This is, in a lot of ways, Vader in his prime."
The series marks Christensen's first return to the role of Darth Vader ever since 2005's Revenge of the Sith. The series will also serve as the Star Wars debut of Rupert Friend as The Inquisitor, a former guard at the Jedi temple who fell to the dark side. Friend's Inquisitor is joined by Moses Ingram as Inquisitor Reva, aka Third Sister, another Force-sensitive assassin who will be working with Christensen's Vader to hunt down the remaining Jedi.
Fans can see just how far these characters have come for themselves when Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres on Disney+ on May 25.
Source: Total Film