Obi-Wan Kenobi: Star Wars' most-anticipated show yet premieres on Disney Plus

Forty-five years ago this week, Star Wars: A New Hope opened in US cinemas and the global appetite for the galaxy far far away has shown no signs of abating since.

And this week the hugely-hyped new series Obi-Wan Kenobi premiered on Disney Plus.

Fact: Star Wars changed the movies forever. The films spawned a gargantuan, intergenerational insatiable fandom loyal to the core.

After 12 movies, Star Wars storytelling spread to streaming and now the debut of their most anticipated show yet - Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Kenobi of the prequels, Ewan McGregor,  is back - but not without his former apprentice.

Darth Vader is the greatest galactic movie villain in history. The fans went into hyperdrive when rumours started to swirl that Vader would return for the show. Not even the man behind the mask saw this day coming.

"For the longest time no, no I did not," actor Hayden Christensen told Newshub. "It really was a surprise when I got the phone call… when I finished the prequels I never imagined we would get to come back all these years later."

The Star Wars prequels brought the worst out in the fans. Christensen's performance was often on the pointy end of their poisoned barbs.

None of that exposure to the dark side of the toxic fandom dimmed his love for the franchise.

"Like you, I'm really excited at all these new Star Wars stories that are coming out. I really enjoy just going out and getting to be a fan again and watching them like everybody else," he said.

"Coming back to a character that I played so long ago, it's been a very interesting exercise in my craft… with time, you have a new perspective."

Enjoy it we can, the first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi have just landed.