Actor Hayden Christensen, best known for portraying Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy and several other Lucasfilm projects, has drawn the ire of fans who were hoping to catch him at Spacecon in San Antonio, Texas, last Saturday. The actor left the convention early in order to watch Game 5 of the NBA finals between the Spurs and the New York Knicks.
Hayden Christensen Departs Space Con Early To Catch NBA Finals
Christensen appeared on a panel alongside actor Jimmy Smits and Ian McDiarmid at Spacecon on Saturday, before announcing that he was “going to try to catch the second half of the game” in a clip that an attendee uploaded on TikTok.
Several witnesses told TMZ they were “upset” that Christensen left the event early, especially since it cost them a pretty penny to attend. In addition to the cost of the panel, the actor charged $175 for autographs, $225 for autographs on special items, and $210 for photo ops.
Now Play Podcast Claims The Actor ‘F-cked Over Fans’
The Now Playing Podcast responded to a video that featured Christensen holding up a jersey. The video, posted by the San Antonio Spurs, featured the caption, “The Force is with us tonight (and so is Anakin! Hayden Christensen is in the building tonight.”
The podcast channel responded to the post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, to explain the “story behind this photo” and claimed that “Hayden f-cked over his fans to get the photo.”
They claimed that the actor “somehow has a clause no other guests have—for him to do a panel at a con he wants more money so they make it a paid, ticketed event.”
“NEVER on 25 years of con going have I seen people pay to attend panels (which are usually pretty sucky). People paid *$100* per ticket to see Hayden with Ian McDermid [sic] and Jimmy Smith [sic] (both of whom would have done the panel for free…but not Hayden),” they alleged.
They went on to say that the panel was scheduled for 8:15 PM, long before the NBA finals were announced, but they decided to move it to 8 PM due to the game. Although the beginning of the panel “went well,” Hayden allegedly got up and left twenty minutes into the panel.
Ian McDiarmid and Jimmy Smits Reportedly Stayed For The Whole Panel
Although McDiarmid and Smits apparently stayed for the entire time, the podcast channel claimed that “attendees say the entire energy left the room with Hayden.”
They concluded: “The unmatched greed and ego shown by Christiansen [sic] for this photo op is really a sign of unwarranted entitlement and a way to sh-t on fans (not me!) who paid $100 ON TOP OF A CON BADGE just to hear him talk.”
In the comments, many fans pointed out that they had attended paid panels in the past, especially at night. One fan who attended the same Spacecon that Christensen left noted that Tom Hiddleston also had a paid panel; however, it was the day before, and he stayed for the whole time. Other fans also questioned the “clause” Christensen allegedly had and doubted its validity.
At this time, it is unclear if disappointed attendees will be refunded.
Hayden Christensen To Return As Anakin Skywalker In ‘Ahsoka’ Season 2
Even though he might have disgruntled some fans with his decision to leave the convention early, Christensen will return to his role as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in season 2 of “Ahsoka,” as announced by The Hollywood Reporter in April 2025.
The announcement was made at the Star Wars Celebration event in Tokyo, Japan. Show creator Dave Filoni, executive producer Jon Favreau, and “Ahsoka” actress Rosario Dawson discussed the inspiration behind the show and the making of season 1.
They then featured a clip between Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka on the screen before Christensen walked out to thunderous applause. “There’s not much I can share, but Anakin will be back for season two,” Christensen said at the time.
Although season 2 of “Ahsoka” was filmed in 2025 and many fans expected it to be released on Disney+ in 2026, the show’s sophomore outing has been delayed to 2027.