There were (wild, tinfoil) theories that Darth Vader might appear in The Force Awakens, while we've also had suggestions that Hayden Christensen will reprise the role in Episode VIII. Now, though, the big rumours - and the most believable - is that it'll be Rogue One that sees the return of the Sith Lord. Making Star Wars are reporting that not only will be see Vader back in action, but that Lucasfilm have assembled a "Dream Team" for his return, which includes a new actor doing the physical work, his suit from the original movie being meticulously recreated by Brian Muir (the man who sculpted the original helmet) and his team, and, most importantly, that James Earl Jones will be back to voice the character yet again. Rating: 9/10 Darth Vader being in Rogue One just makes perfect sense. If it's an assault on the Empire, then he's surely got to be around. Their report states that he'll be "a prominent player in a few scenes and something to fear for the heroes." It fits with what we know of the plot of this film, and where we find Darth Vader at the beginning of Star Wars, while James Earl Jones has already shown he's open to return, voicing the character in Star Wars Rebels. It'll be interesting who gets to play the character (though the likelihood is it'll be someone relatively unknown, because it's not like we need to see their face or hear their voice), but expect to see Darth Vader back on the big screen this December. What do you think of these rumours? Share your reactions and counter-theories below in the comments thread.
NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far.
A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.
