Rumors are swirling that Hayden Christensen is a lot more involved with Star Wars‘ future than we expected. The prequel trilogy has aged like fine wine, its reputation improving as the prequel generated grows up. Disney has learned to embrace this, bringing Hayden Christensen back for Obi-Wan Kenobi and even Ahsoka Season 1, where he played a Force Ghost. Even more excitingly, Christensen has hinted there’s more for Anakin than Ahsoka Season 2, insisting there’s a lot that can still be explored with Darth Vader.
According to industry insider Daniel Richtman (via SFF Gazette), Christensen is set up for at least two more projects as either Anakin or Darth Vader. The prequel star has played both role for Disney now (and loved wearing the Vader suit), so the possibilities are endless. That’s especially true after the success of Maul – Shadow Lord Season 1, Star Wars’ first ever villain-led TV show.
What Does the Future Hold For Hayden Christensen in Star Wars?
In truth, we know precious little about the future of Star Wars right now. We’re less than a week away from The Mandalorian and Grogu, and Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter is due out next year, along with the recently-delayed Ahsoka Season 2. Kathleen Kennedy has stepped down as Lucasfilm president, replaced by Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan, but those projects weren’t even announced until after succession planning began. That means these three projects are really the beginning of a new era for Star Wars – but it’s one still shrouded in more secrecy than a Sith plot.
It’s reasonable to assume Lucasfilm intend to hold as much back as possible until next year’s Star Wars Celebration. In the past, Celebration has been seen as a major moment for relaunching the franchise, and it’s a tremendous opportunity to chart Star Wars’ future. We can assume any post-Starfighter theatrical releases will need to start moving soon if Lucasfilm still intend to release annual movies (as Disney previously hoped for). But the studio appears to have moved to just one live-action TV show a year, which means further TV announcements can probably be held back till after Celebration.
One thing’s for sure: Dave Filoni will be very careful indeed when it comes to using Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader. Vader was silent in Maul – Shadow Lord, in part because Filoni believes Lucas said everything that needs to be said for the Sith Apprentice, and he doesn’t want to risk damaging anything his mentor did. Filoni seems to perceive Vader more as a force of nature than a character, which can make for compelling action scenes, but will mean he needs to be skillfully written in any larger role. It will be fascinating to see how this plays out.
What role do you want Hayden Christensen to play in Star Wars’ future? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!