A trailer for Lord Vader: A Star Wars Story has been uploaded online, but there may be a disturbance in the Force with this potential new movie.
Darth Vader is one of the Star Wars franchise’s most legendary and enduring characters.
From the glint of his frightening all-black armor to the ominous sound of his mechanically-assisted breathing, there are so many things that make Vader such a standout villain. (Read about the character’s entire chronological journey here).
A Darth Vader Solo Movie?
A recently uploaded movie trailer has been making the rounds, one which advertises a standalone Darth Vader film called Lord Vader: A Star Wars Story.
Unfortunately for fans who are clamoring to see the fearsome Sith in his own project, the trailer in question is phonier than Han Solo in Stormtrooper armor.
The fake video is composed of several snippets of footage from past Star Wars installments coupled with some potentially AI-generated dialogue.
But does there exist the possibility of a movie that features Darth Vader as the headlining, title character?
Nothing has been officially confirmed by Lucasfilm but if one were to ask Anakin Skywalker actor Hayden Christensen (who has, on occasion, donned the Vader costume) he’d surely jump at the chance to once again put on the helmet and cape.
Christensen has previously gone on record as saying he’d love to be put in the position of portraying Vader in his own movie or Disney+ series:
"Absolutely! To get to do more with this character would be amazing!"
During press for 2022’s Obi-Wan Kenobi series, the actor also spoke to Digital Spy on the prospect of stepping back into the role, noting that "there’s a lot to further explore:"
"If the opportunity presents itself, I would be all for it. 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."
ET Canada (via Esquire) also posed the question to Christensen of whether he would want to star in his own Darth Vader show, and he responded with the same enthusiasm:
"There's more there to explore, I would love [to] continue my journey with him."
Hayden Christensen has returned to the galaxy far, far away a handful of times since wrapping production on Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith almost 20 years ago. This includes appearances in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka for Disney+.
Does the World Need a Standalone Vader Movie?
Darth Vader has been a fixture in Star Wars since the very first film back in 1977. He served as the primary antagonist in all three films of the beloved Original Trilogy (despite arguably playing second banana to Emperor Palpatine in Return of the Jedi)
With so much exposure in both that trilogy and over 45 years of subsequent material, canon or otherwise, is there truly a call for a Darth Vader movie where he serves as the main character? A case could certainly be made.
Vader has been featured in countless Star Wars projects in all his evil glory, from feature films to cartoons to video games. But rarely has the character been allowed to cut loose and deal the sort of monumental damage of which someone of his immense power is capable (the end of 2016’s Rogue One notwithstanding).
Sure, there have been displays of his true ability in comics, books, and animated episodes, but what many fans want to see is a live-action Darth Vader wreaking havoc, busting heads, and showing no mercy as the Dark Lord of the Sith that he is.
Brutally cutting down Rebel soldiers with his iconic red lightsaber in Rogue One only served as a taste of what some audience members want to witness from the character.
Though of course, as with any good thing, getting a lot of it runs the risk of over-saturation, so perhaps it’s best to dole out Darth Vader in small doses after all.
The multitudes of Star Wars content in which Darth Vader has a presence, including Ahsoka, can be streamed on Disney+.
