Which scene was being filmed when Robert De Niro visited?

Hayden Christensen said De Niro visited during filming of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker’s duel on Mustafar.

Where did this story come from?

The quote is attributed to Fan Expo New Orleans (FANEXPONOLA), based on Hayden Christensen’s appearance and comments.

Is there official footage confirming the visit?

Not currently. The story is shared as a convention anecdote and has not been backed by official behind-the-scenes Lucasfilm footage.

Hayden Christensen Says Robert De Niro Visited the ROTS Mustafar Duel Set

Q: Did Robert De Niro visit the set of Revenge of the Sith?

Hayden Christensen says Robert De Niro visited the set of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith during filming, according to Fan Expo New Orleans.

Some Star Wars behind-the-scenes stories sound like the kind of rumor that would normally live forever in the “no way that happened” category.

And then Hayden Christensen casually drops one that’s so specific it becomes instantly believable.

According to Fan Expo New Orleans (FANEXPONOLA), Christensen recently shared that Robert De Niro once visited the set of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith — and it happened during one of the most iconic filming moments in the entire prequel trilogy: Obi-Wan Kenobi vs Anakin Skywalker on Mustafar.

“Is that Robert De Niro?” — Hayden remembers the moment clearly

Hayden told the story like it was just another normal day on set… except it wasn’t.

He says:

De Niro showed up to the set
Hayden and Ewan McGregor noticed him
Ewan apparently reacted with: “Is that Robert De Niro?”
And yes — it was Robert De Niro

The idea of De Niro watching lightsabers swing in front of lava is already wild.

But then the story gets even better.

The push-up moment that made Hayden’s day

Hayden also shared a detail about his filming process during the duel scenes — he would do push-ups before each take, partly to:

raise his heart rate
create real exhaustion
make the scene feel more physically intense and authentic

And this is where De Niro enters like a legendary method acting side quest.

Christensen says De Niro walked over and told him something along the lines of:

“I see you doing push ups before the takes. I do that too.”

That kind of comment — from Robert De Niro — is basically a career memory you keep forever.

And Hayden admitted that it “felt good.”

Why this story hits so hard for Star Wars fans

The Mustafar duel is one of the most iconic (and physically demanding) sequences in Star Wars history — not just emotionally, but literally.

So the idea that:

a Hollywood acting legend drops by,
watches the Obi-Wan/Anakin duel being filmed,
and offers a casual “yep, I do that too” moment…

…is honestly perfect.

It’s also the kind of little behind-the-scenes trivia that reminds you how huge Revenge of the Sith was as a production — even in 2004/2005 when it was being filmed.

Quick context: treat this as a con story (for now)

To keep it clean and accurate:

This story is shared as a convention anecdote, credited to @FANEXPONOLA.

There isn’t an official Lucasfilm behind-the-scenes clip attached (yet), but it’s still a fun and very plausible moment — and it’s coming from the person who was actually there.

A surprise guest on Mustafar

If you ever needed proof that Revenge of the Sith was basically a gravitational anomaly for pop culture, this is it:

Hayden Christensen says Robert De Niro visited the set during the Mustafar duel — and he was friendly, supportive, and oddly relatable.

Star Wars trivia doesn’t always get better than that.

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