Concept art confirmed that Lucasfilm considered having Hayden Christensen show up as a Force Ghost in the Star Wars trilogy, only for it to never happen. Fortunately, Hayden Christensen did eventually make his long-awaited return to the franchise as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The actor, who has become a beloved figure among Star Wars fans, later reprised the role in Ahsoka as both a Force Ghost and a Clone Wars-era hologram. The finale wrapped up by setting the stage for Anakin to play a much bigger role on Peridia when the series returns with Season 2.
It was recently confirmed that Ahsoka won't return to Disney+ until early next year, but looking beyond that series, we have an exciting update from insider Daniel Richtman.
As we first revealed on SFFGazette.com, he's reporting that Christensen is set for at least two more Star Wars projects as Anakin. The actor suited up as Darth Vader for Obi-Wan Kenobi, so which version of the Jedi-turned-Sith we'll see in this Galaxy Far, Far Away remains to be seen.
There's been a lot of chatter about a potential Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 2, but the small-screen Star Wars slate beyond Ahsoka Season 2 is currently a mystery to us. There are a few movies in the works, including the Rey-led project and a new trilogy, but whether Anakin and/or Vader would fit into those stories is hard to say.
With reports swirling that Christensen will have a much larger role in Ahsoka Season 2, chances are Anakin will be there to guide Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren on their journey across Peridea (The Clone Wars fans among you will know that he's also closely connected to the Mortis Gods). We may also see more of the training videos he once made for "Snips" during the Clone Wars.
"I know my friend Ewan would be game for that as well," Christensen said last year about possibly suiting up for a live-action version of The Clone Wars. "It's a cool look. It's a cool sort of period in Star Wars, and I think there are great stories that we could tell there. So who knows, maybe one day."
Acknowledging that it would "require a little bit of de-ageing" magic to make that happen, he continued, "I love this character. I would love the chance to continue to explore Anakin's story some more and hopefully do the Darth Vader timeline a little bit more, too. I think there are more stories there to be told."
Fans have made it clear that they want to see more of Christensen in Star Wars, and new Lucasfilm co-President Dave Filoni is far more likely to take that on board than Kathleen Kennedy ever did.
Keep checking back here for updates as we have them.