A new behind-the-scenes Obi-Wan Kenobi photo shows Hayden Christensen practicing Darth Vader's legendary lightsaber skills.
The image, captured by photographer Annie Liebovitz and published by Vanity Fair, shows Christensen dueling with Ewan McGregor’s stunt double, Ross Kohnstam. Both combatants are dressed in regular street clothing, though Christensen is wearing a makeshift cape, presumably for the Canadian actor to get used to performing choreography while draped in Vader's famous black cloak.
Christensen recently opened up about the lightsaber fights in Obi-Wan Kenobi, describing them as being closer to those seen throughout the Star Wars prequels than in the original trilogy. "These characters have aged, but not that much yet," the actor explained. These comments track with the Disney+ series' previously established position within Star Wars canon, which is roughly halfway between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.
Christensen also spoke about the considerable amount of gym time needed to reprise the role of Darth Vader. "Most of my work on this project was in preparation," he said. "The physical preparation was intense. I had to put on a decent amount of weight and size to fill up the suit." The star previously donned the Sith Lord's iconic outfit for a handful of scenes in Revenge of the Sith, with a padded undersuit used to bulk out his more slender frame. Christensen's comments suggest that his costume in Obi-Wan Kenobi will rely less heavily on this type of augmentation, if at all.
With news of Christensen bulking up and brushing up his lightsaber skills making headlines, fans are more excited than ever for his return to the Star Wars saga, and the actor has been more than happy to help fan the flames of this anticipation, going so far as to promise Obi-Wan Kenobi's younger Darth Vader is the most formidable incarnation of the Sith Lord to date. "He is 100 percent a fully realized Vader," Christensen teased. "This is, in a lot of ways, Vader in his prime."
Christensen's return to the role won't end with Obi-Wan Kenobi either. He's set to appear as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in Ahsoka, another Disney+ Star Wars series currently in production. Whether Christensen will play one or both of his character's personas in Ahsoka is currently unknown. The show is set five years after Return of the Jedi, long after Skywalker/Vader died, leading to speculation Christensen will appear either in flashbacks or as a spectral Force Ghost.
The first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi arrive on Disney+ on May 27, 2022.
Source: Vanity Fair