Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, and others from the original "Star Wars" trilogy are reprising their characters in this December's "The Force Awakens."
But will any of the newer characters from the later trilogy (the often criticized prequel), be making an appearance?
That's the rumor going around!
Fan site Makingstarwars.net says it heard Hayden Christensen may be appearing in 2017’s untitled “Star Wars: Episode VIII.” Christensen played a young Anakin Skywalker in the prequel trilogy as we watched him turn into the dark lord Darth Vader.
Via Making Star Wars:
“A team in the U.K. are soon heading to the U.S. to begin training Hayden Christensen for a Star Wars: Episode VIII appearance of some sort.”
Is Darth Vader back?
Not so fast.
While the fan site has a good track record with rumors, take that bit of news with a grain of salt.
Even the site seems pretty wary of the news.
Since Vader was killed off at the end of “Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi,” played by the much older Sebastian Shaw, it would be kind of difficult to see where Christensen would fit into the film unless we were looking at some sort of flashback sequence.
However, if Christensen were to return, it would add credence to the other rumor they report: that Darth Vader could appear in the first “Star Wars” spinoff “Rogue One.”
Again, via Making Star Wars:
The most I have heard at this juncture is that a fully operational Darth Vader chest piece along with the helmet made it to the creature shop for the next film. The lights on the chest piece work and everything. Here’s where I get hesitant about it: There were not several of them, just one seen by a source and mentioned by another. I believe that part of the info is correct that a suit made it to the props area. Does that mean it is in the film? Not entirely.
Read into that however much you want, but this has led fans to an even crazier theory — what if Vader was resurrected?
That sounds ridiculous, right?
Let's think about it.
We know Vader is definitely tied to the storyline of “The Force Awakens." We've seen his old, melted helmet in a teaser trailer.
We also know Vader serves as the inspiration for the new villainous Kylo Ren in December’s film, so much so that Ren has been described as "obsessed" with the Dark Lord.
This is where those two ideas merge.
A lot of fans are thinking Kylo Ren wants to resurrect Vader — especially since it seems like he's after Luke's lightsaber, which was originally Anakin's.
CRAZY THEORY: maybe Andy Sirkis is Darth Plagues & helps the Knights Of Ren To resurrect Darth Vader back from the dead #StarWars
— Star Wars Basement (@theSWbasement) September 23, 2015Kylo Ren is apparently going to try to resurrect Darth Vader. No wonder he wants his Lightsaber and his helmet.
— Felix Gronkowski (@LordSnow17) September 22, 2015So apparently there's a theory that has a lot of credentials that says Kylo Ren is attempting to resurrect Darth Vader .... Woahhh
— Dylan Botelho (@D_Bowey) September 22, 2015Crazy, right?
Even if Anakin was resurrected, he didn't die as the great Vader who ruled the galaxy. He turned against the dark side of the force to aid his son Luke. He was very at peace with himself, and a very different person than the one it appears Kylo Ren is worshipping.
Will that happen? Who knows. At the least, it's a fun rumor to think about at the moment.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is in theaters December 18.
