Star Wars: Anakin Skywalker star hits back at prequel criticisms

The arrival of the Star Wars prequel movies was a time of excitement for fans of the series. The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith showed off the origins of Anakin Skywalker – better known as Darth Vader – as well as expanding on the universe. However, since their release, fans and critics have slammed various parts of the trilogy, including its dialogue, acting, use of the green screen, and lore (remember the Midi-chlorians?).

But Anakin Skywalker himself says these aspects of the franchise were built by design by the series creator.  

Christensen has been doing the rounds with Obi-Wan Kenobi star Ewan McGregor to promote the new Disney Plus show. And in a new interview, he was quizzed over being the target of a lot of online abuse because of the prequel trilogy.

The star nonchalantly said: “I think it just goes back to the sort of ownership that people feel towards these characters. It’s almost like public domain. These characters really do belong to everybody.”

He also went straight to the defence of the creator of the series, George Lucas.

Lucas wrote and directed not only the original trilogy – A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi – but also the following prequel trilogy as well. And, if Star Wars fans did not like the new entries into the franchise, that was on them, according to Lucas.

The Darth Vader star said: “I guess the impression that I got from George Lucas was that if [the fans] don’t like them, then they don’t ‘get’ it – and that was good enough for me.”

He also defended the often criticised dialogue and the world that was created within the prequels.

READ MORE: Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi was related to Rey at first

“It just seemed like a really exciting opportunity,” Christensen said. “It was a no-brainer. In a heartbeat. When I got the call, I was instantly elated … I was just so excited to get to come back after all these years.”

The 41-year-old also confessed he is not worried about another bout of online abuse from disgruntled fans. It’s possible, he noted, but it’s not something he has actively worried about.

And he’s not the only actor who didn’t care about this negative reaction.

McGregor also recently spoke out in support of the prequels amid his comeback to the Star Wars universe.

He confessed: “One of the difficult things about being in the prequels was that when they came out, they were not seemingly well-received. Because there was no social media, there was no direct avenue to the fans at the time. And also, the fans were kids.” Now, he revealed, things are different. “Gradually,” he smiled. “I started realising that people really liked them, and that they meant a lot to that generation. So that warmed my feelings about them, I guess, or my experience of being in the Star Wars world.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi hits Disney Plus this Friday.

The Star Wars saga is available on Disney Plus now.

SOURCE / SOURCE