This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and Empire’s latest issue is an epic celebration of all three movies, including interviews with Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Liam Neeson and Ian McDiarmid.
Hayden Christensen reflected on his time in the Star Wars franchise. “It’s been a remarkable experience,” Christensen said. “And just a very heartwarming one. The journey that I’ve been on with Star Wars over the last 20 plus years… it’s been a wild ride, and where we’re at now is really meaningful to me.” Of course, the backlash against the prequels was rather intense at the time, with plenty aimed at Christensen’s portrayal of Anakin Skywalker. Those opinions have simmered over the years, with a new generation of fans holding the Star Wars prequel trilogy in high regard.
“I think that those movies have held up well over time. It feels like vindication for the work that we did,” Christensen said. “Everyone that worked on those movies thought that we were part of something special. We all wanted to do our very best work, and we cared a lot about it. And so to see the response from the fans now, it’s very cool.“
Following the release of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, it seemed that Hayden Christensen’s time in the franchise had come to an end, but he recently returned for appearances in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka on Disney+ and a fanbase ready to embrace him. Empire asked Christensen if he had any advice for his younger self, who stepped into the shoes of the galaxy’s greatest villain all those years ago. “Even though I was a bit overwhelmed, I was also a confident young man, and I wanted to make my mark,” Christensen said. “But I guess if I were to have some advice for me during that general time in my life, it would be: ‘Patience’. Because my journey with the character and with Star Wars has at times been a bumpy one… but I’m in a good place with it now. And so that’s why I say patience.“
As for the future, who knows, but Christensen has said that he’d be open to reprising the role for a Darth Vader series down the road. “If the opportunity presents itself, I would be all for it,” he said. “I think this is a character that is very complex, and there’s a lot there to further explore. If the powers that be were so inclined, I would be so excited to get to do so.“