‘Rebel Moon’s’ Charlie Hunnam was almost Anakin Skywalker

There was a time when Anakin Skywalker might have been played by someone other than Hayden Christensen. This isn’t a new reveal, as several actors were in the running to play the Jedi while filming the prequel trilogy. However, while promoting Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon, actor Charlie Hunnam confirmed a long-standing rumor that he was in the running for Anakin. Sitting down in an exclusive with Entertainment Tonight, Hunnam stated:

"“I had forgotten that too, but yes, I did. I got to the point where I was meeting George Lucas, you know? Which… I don’t think he meets a lot of actors. I think it was probably, maybe, two to three actors they were considering. I don’t remember much about it.”"

He remembered getting far enough in the process to meet George Lucas. He recalled being nervous to sit down with the Star Wars creator:

"“And I just remember it being a very awkward meeting and walking out and thinking, ‘Well, I’m definitely not [getting the] role.’ And I was correct. Sometimes it’s about the vibes.”"

Charlie Hunnam is now in his own version of a movie similar to a galaxy far, far away. Rebel Moon has a history with the Star Wars franchise, as Zack Snyder originally pitched the film to The Walt Disney Company in 2012 to be a Star Wars movie. He wanted to do a darker, more mature film, but Disney didn’t move forward with the project. After shopping the pitch around a bit more and also playing with the idea of making it a television show, Rebel Moon found a home with Netflix. It premiered in North American theaters on December 15, 2023.

Perhaps it was for the best for Christensen to portray Anakin Skywalker. While the prequels are hit-and-miss with fans, there’s no denying that Christensen was one of the best parts of Ahsoka. We’re in the middle of the Hayden Renaissance, and I’m happy to be part of it.