Don't forget Samuel L. Jackson was in Jumper too. Remember when he had street cred after being in Pulp Fiction?
Look at his awful perfromances in the prequels, jumper, etc.
Jumper was one of the worst films i have literally ever seen. and Awake was not any better. So Hayden was decent in Life as a house and shattered glass. The reason he was recommended to George was the Virgin Suicides by Sophia Coppola who just so happens to be George Lucas goddaughter.
That Dawsons Creek actor Jonathan Jackson was considered but i don't think he was ever even tested on a screen test. And since Lucasfilms had a problem in the Past with getting Tom Selleck out of a contract to play Indiana Jones, i don't think they wanted to go through that Again with Him.
Besides they were Looking for that sullen, whiny quality which Hayden has in spades.
The original trilogies cast ended up with What Three Possible Ensemble Combinations. But the Prequels could not be cast this way because anakin was a kid in episode 1, Else they would have had Hayden in all three,lol. 2 is more than enough, never mind putting him into Return of the Jedi.