Hayden Christensen doesn’t know what the future holds for the Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, but he’s eager to play his part. The actor has reprised his prequel trilogy role in several recent titles, including Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker, the series Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka. He will appear in Ahsoka Season 2, and while no further appearances beyond that have been announced, Christensen is hoping for another call. He was asked about his Star Wars future this weekend at Fan Expo Boston, and he said that he would take up the role again “in a heartbeat.”
“One hundred percent… I would love to, yes,” the actor said. “If the powers that be decide that’s something that they want to see, I would be there in a heartbeat.” The “powers that be” likely include a combination of creators at Lucasfilm including writers and producers, as well as the studio executives who choose which projects to fund. That means as long as there is demand for more Anakin among fans, Christensen is willing to meet it.
Ahsoka is a great place to showcase Christensen, and proof that the Star Wars timeline doesn’t necessarily dictate the cast of each series entirely. Ahsoka takes place after Darth Vader’s death, yet Christensen appears as a Force ghost to continue training his former apprentice, Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson). Because Vader was redeemed before his death, he’s able to project a younger version of himself that still looks like Christensen. However, it also doesn’t seem out of place for Christensen to have aged in this context.
Christensen’s other recent Star Wars cameos have been much more brief, and have also been explained in part by Force projections or visions. He could be heard only in voice-over in Episode IX, while he was seen mostly as Darth Vader in Kenobi. Star Wars has also embraced effects like digital de-aging, so it’s not impossible to imagine Christensen appearing as a flesh-and-blood character again in a show or movie set during the Clone Wars.
However Christensen is brought into the story, it’s clear that fans are eager to see more of him in Star Wars. The actor drew huge crowds at Fan Expo Boston this weekend, and he has generally been embraced by the fandom at every opportunity in recent years. Still, after Ahsoka, it’s hard to guess where Anakin might fit into the other upcoming titles in the Star Wars franchise.
For now, fans are looking forward to Ahsoka Season 2, and Christensen’s return is a considerable part of their excitement. The series has been filming all summer, but there’s no set release date so far. In the meantime, Season 1 is streaming now on Disney+, along with the rest of Christensen’s Star Wars appearances.
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