Will Darth Vader be in ‘Star Wars 8’? [Release Date, Cast, Plot & Rumors]

It's not hard to argue that Darth Vader is the number one iconic villain from the original "Star Wars" trilogy. When the character met his ultimate fate near the end of "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi", many rejoiced at the character's redemption plot line.

Rumors have begun to circulate that Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker in "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" and "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith", will return to his role as the fallen Jedi. According to Making Star Wars, a team from the UK is traveling to the US to train Christensen for an appearance of some sort in "Star Wars Episode VII."

If the rumor is true, the most likely scenario is that Christensen will be playing Anakin in some sort of flashback sequence rather than a present timeline appearance. In the last scene of "Return of the Jedi", Luke does see that Anakin's ghost stands next to Obi Wan and Yoda, meaning that the character became one with the force.

Movie Web reports that the next trilogy of movies is trying to distance themselves from George Lucas' original work. So why would Christensen be part of the new "Star Wars" universe, even though the original anthology is considered cannon.

There is also the fact that Anakin was not particularly liked in the prequel movies by "Star Wars" fans. While this subject is still up for debate amongs fans, having someone else besides Luke, Han and Leia returning might be good for the new films.

The character of Anakin was more flushed out in the "Clone Wars" cartoon television show, which showed a better side than the lovestruck Jedi fans were given in the last two movies. In fact, many Star Wars fans prefer the exciting, in-depth look at the young Jedi during his heroic years.

While all this talk about Anakin Skywalker returning could be just speculation at this point, there are several other possibilities that revolve around this rumor. One is that the studio is trying to see if Christensen can still return to his iconic role. If not, the project can still be scrapped in favor of another actor. Two the film's higher ups are just trying out the idea and could be later dismissed altogether. Lastly, this is what it is: a rumor with no real backing to it.

"Star Wars Episode 8" is due to debut on May 26, 2017.