Disney reportedly canceled anticipated Star Wars FanX panel – but why?

SALT LAKE CITY — Pop culture fans packed the Salt Palace again over the weekend for the FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention. And many of those fans eagerly awaited one specific event: the Star Wars panel, planned for Saturday afternoon, with Hayden Christensen and Ian McDiarmid.

So you can probably imagine their collective disappointment when they heard Disney canceled the panel on very short notice.

One attendee even took to YouTube with some conjecture about the canceled FanX panel.

Ian McDiarmid has already been confirmed to appear in the upcoming film “Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker,” as the Emperor. However, there has only been speculation as to whether or not Hayden Christensen will reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker.

So, how are Star Wars fans supposed to interpret such an abrupt cancellation of one of the weekend’s largest panels? A few tweets from convention-goers may give us some insight.

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

The star wars spotlight panel at #fanx was cancelled. The rumor is that Disney threatened litigation if @fanxsaltlake allowed Hayden Christensen and Ian McDiarmid to speak for fear of leaks. These rumors have yet to be addressed by either organization.

— Alex Wood (@WoodyWood_Chuck) September 7, 2019

Neither FanX nor Disney offered any additional information about the cancellation. But whatever Disney’s reasons for canceling the panel, the question many are asking now is, “have they have inadvertently spoiled their own film?”