Disney Shuts Down STAR WARS Panel with Ian McDiarmid and Hayden Christensen at FanX

This past weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah there was a big geek convention going on called FanX. On Saturday there was a big Star Wars panel set to take place with franchise stars Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine) and Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker).

As people were waiting for the panel to start, a rep for the convention came out and announced that Disney had the panel shut down. Disney reportedly threatened legal action if FanX continued with the panel out of fear of spoilers for the upcoming film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Now, of course, because Disney took this action, everyone thinks that Christensen will be returning as Anakin in the film as a force ghost and the studio didn’t want any hints of that teased during the panel. If this is the case, shutting the panel down was the worst thing that Disney can do because now that’s all anyone is talking about.

And Disney just cancelled their panel at FanX. Like... how else are we supposed to read that, @starwars? 🧐🤔 https://t.co/y7ZrbLjC7N

— The Reylo Rev. Meghatron (@the_meghatron) September 7, 2019

We all know that Ian McDiarmid is coming back as Palpatine in the new film and it would certainly be cool and interesting to see him and Anakin come face to face again in The Rise of Skywalker. That would be an awkward reunion.

You know, it really wouldn’t surprise me if Christensen did show up in the movie. With the saga coming to an end, it makes complete sense that he would.

Anyway, here’s a video that was posted from a fan at the event after the panel was canceled.

This was the scene just after the announcement that Disney had contacted the organizers of FanX Salt Lake City Comic Convention saying they are not allowing the much anticipated stage panel discussion between Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine) and Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) at 2 p.m. Sept. 7, 2019.