Star Wars: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Darth Vader
4. Hayden Christensen Had To Bulk Up For His Vader Return
After consuming the rather depressing amount of criticism sent his way following on from his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker's inevitable fall into the Dark Side and slipping into the intentionally uncomfortable full body costume his Sith Lord would become synonymous with in the Prequels, you can bet Hayden Christensen fully assumed his time in the Vader saddle had well and truly passed.
Yet, almost twenty years on from his fateful "NOOOOOO!", the under-appreciated Prequel Vader is set to be reintroduced on the Disney+ stage opposite old friend Ewan McGregor. But this wasn't simply a case of taking the unanticipated call and waltzing onto set the next day ready to throw down with Obi-Wan Kenobi.
In order to prepare for his highly-anticipated Skywalker/Vader comeback, Christensen recently told Total Film (via CBR) that he had to undergo some "intense" physical preparation and "put on a decent amount of weight and size to fill up the suit".
And for those wondering whether the incoming lightsaber showdowns will match Christensen and McGregor's exhilarating exploits of the Prequels, the Anakin actor, spotted practising behind-the-scenes in a recent Vanity Fair article, would also note:
"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."
This is where the fun begins, indeed.