Disney Star Wars Is About To Make Its Biggest Mistake In 7 Years

Published Sep 25, 2026, 7:30 PM EDT

Liz Declan is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant, primarily covering movies. She is a massive fan of Star Wars, the MCU, and Supernatural. In addition to writing, Liz loves attending and covering conventions and interviewing actors. Find her on TikTok and Instagram @va.va.vera

As the MCU gears up for an exciting new era with Spider-Man: Brand New Day smashing numerous box office records this summer and Avengers: Doomsday getting plenty of attention ahead of its December release, Star Wars, unfortunately, continues to struggle. This year, The Mandalorian and Grogu seemed like the perfect opportunity for the franchise to have a comeback, especially because The Mandalorian was such a beloved TV show (seasons 1 and 2, at least). Unfortunately, The Mandalorian and Grogu proved to be a disappointment at the box office, which left the galaxy far, far away feeling more uncertain than ever.

Not all hope is lost, though. Star Wars: Starfighter is coming next year, and with Ryan Gosling leading the movie and the plot seemingly introducing an entirely new concept in an era after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, it really seems to have a chance. In terms of TV shows, Star Wars also has some upcoming projects that should inspire hope within the fanbase, from Ahsoka season 2, which is releasing in January, to Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord season 2, which doesn't have an official release date yet but is confirmed to be in the works.

Star Wars Celebration will also take place next April and no doubt has myriad surprises in store. However, Star Wars has seemingly just turned down (or, at the very least, not taken the opportunity to make) a movie that would almost certainly be a slam dunk with audiences, whether that's diehards who have been with Star Wars since the beginning or newer fans who respect the franchise's icons. Namely, for several weeks now, a Darth Vader movie has been rumored to be in the works with Hayden Christensen in talks to return—sadly, fans shouldn't get their hopes up.

Hayden Christensen Shut Down Darth Vader Movie Rumors

Online rumors about this potential Vader project were apparently widespread enough that they made their way to an interview, during which Christensen was directly asked about the possibility of the movie. Sadly, Christensen gave a very definitive response, and not for the better for those who were hoping this project was really coming down the line. Specifically, Christensen said, "Oh, I think those are just rumors...I would be thrilled to get to do that. But right now, those are just rumors." Granted, that's not a flat-out no, but it's also not promising.

There's also a possibility, as always, that Christensen is just saying that to throw curious fans off the scent, which happened just a few years ago when there were heavy rumors that Ewan McGregor was returning in the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi. McGregor vehemently denied those rumors, but of course, it was ultimately revealed that he was indeed returning in the Obi-Wan Kenobi show. Never say never with Star Wars, but it does seem like Christensen was being sincere in shutting down conversations about a Vader movie.

A Darth Vader Movie Is Exactly What Star Wars Needs

There's no perfect solution to Star Wars' current predicament. The fanbase continues to be very divided, and essentially every movie, TV show, and even announcement is swiftly met with backlash, whether it deserves it or not. That's realistically been true since Disney took over the franchise in 2012, and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, even with the occasional project (like Andor) breaking through every now and then.

Even with that in mind, though, there's little doubt that a Darth Vader movie starring Hayden Christensen would have fans running to theaters. Sure, there are those who still don't like Christensen's portrayal in the prequel trilogy and mock various lines, and there will, as mentioned, seemingly always be those who are just going to dislike anything Star Wars puts out. Yet, a movie like that would bring two powerhouses at once. For one, despite the aforementioned criticisms, there are many people who adore Christensen as Anakin; any fan convention he attends can tell you that.

Whether fans like him or not, though, few Star Wars fans could really sit out a Darth Vader movie. The only character who even comes close to rivaling Vader's popularity and impact is Luke Skywalker, and arguably, even he doesn't quite reach the significance of Vader. If Star Wars actually put out a movie set between Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope—or, more realistically, between Obi-Wan Kenobi and A New Hope—it would presumably be a smash hit. Yet, Disney seems to be passing, repeating a recent major mistake.

Disney Is Repeating The Hunt For Ben Solo Mistake

Just last year, Kylo Ren/Ben Solo actor Adam Driver revealed a massive bit of news that sent shock waves through the Star Wars fanbase. Specifically, he revealed that he had been working on a movie centered on Ben Solo and set after The Rise of Skywalker, titled The Hunt for Ben Solo. As the title and the timing suggest, this movie would have involved a quest to find Ben Solo following his death at the end of The Rise of Skywalker, at which point he simply disappeared.

This would have done a number of major things for the franchise, from bringing the only remaining Skywalker by blood back to life to undoing a decision that outraged many fans. The movie also had not just Driver's involvement but also Lucasfilm's backing and Steven Soderbergh attached. Those elements made The Hunt for Ben Solo feel like something that could break through the current issues in the Star Wars fanbase and actually be a success. Tragically, Disney shut it down, meaning that it's now been seven years of missed opportunities following The Rise of Skywalker.

In response, fans were absolutely furious, and an entire online campaign began in an effort to save the movie. That sadly appears to have gone nowhere, and that's unlikely to change at this point. Now, Christensen's rumored Vader movie seems to be going the same way (although this one was never actively in development in the way that The Hunt for Ben Solo was). Both may be symptomatic of a franchise that is hesitant to take risks, though—and that certainly wouldn't be good news for Star Wars, which needs a leg up perhaps now more than ever.