Rogue One was supposed to be the first of several "A Star Wars Story" movies, but Solo's box office struggles changed Lucasfilm's rumoured plans. As a result, rumoured movies revolving around Yoda, Boba Fett, and Darth Vader were shelved.
Since then, Fett has returned in The Mandalorian and headlined his own Disney+ series, The Book of Boba Fett. Yoda has made cameo appearances in The Last Jedi and The Acolyte, while Hayden Christensen has reprised his role as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka.
The response to that has been overwhelmingly positive, and he'll return in Season 2 of the latter series next January. Still, fans are eager for even more of Christensen, both as Anakin and Vader.
As we first reported on SFFGazette.com earlier today, a rumour is gaining traction on social media which claims the actor, who made his Star Wars debut in 2002's Attack of the Clones, has signed a multi-picture deal with Disney and Lucasfilm. For now, we'd suggest taking this with a pinch of salt.
A Star Wars: Darth Vader movie is said to be in the early stages of development, which is the kind of fan-pleasing feature new Lucasfilm Chairman Dave Filoni might want to deliver to a dissatisfied fanbase. Presumably, AI would be used, as it was in Obi-Wan Kenobi, to replicate the late James Earl Jones' iconic performance as the Sith Lord.
"When we finished doing the prequels, it felt like that was it, and my journey with the character was over," the Revenge of the Sith star previously said of his Star Wars return. "So to get to come back now and do more with Anakin and Darth Vader was an amazing opportunity. I’m very grateful for the work that I got to do."
"The scenes that I got to do as Darth Vader on Obi-Wan, that was huge for me. Being able to add a little bit more connective tissue to the character and to bridge the gap into Vader a little bit more is a very worthwhile thing," he continued. "And the scenes that I got to do as Anakin on Ahsoka was a bucket-list item I didn’t even know I had."
Reflecting on his first Star Wars stint, Christensen added, "Even though I was a bit overwhelmed, I was also a confident young man, and I wanted to make my mark. 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."
While the prequels covered Anakin's origin and Obi-Wan Kenobi picked up with a Vader in his prime, there are still plenty of gaps in the character's history that could be filled in with a movie. As of now, Lucasfilm has not announced any feature plans beyond next summer's Star Wars: Starfighter.
Do you think we'll see a Star Wars: Darth Vader movie? Should that be a priority for Lucasfilm? As always, you can let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.