Hayden Christensen Returning to ‘Star Wars’ With ‘Ahsoka’ Series (Exclusive)

Hayden Christensen is staying in the fold of the Galactic Empire.

The actor will reprise the role of Anakin Skywalker, aka Darth Vader, in Ahsoka, the latest Star Wars live-action series from Lucasfilm and Disney+, multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.

Rosario Dawson is starring as the fan-favorite character Ahsoka Tano, a Jedi Knight survivor popular on the animation side of Star Wars who made her live-action debut in the second season of The Mandalorian.

Plot details are being kept in the far reaches of the Outer Rim, but it is known that longtime Star Wars lightsaber wielder Dave Filoni is writing the series and exec producing with Jon Favreau.

It is unclear how Skywalker, or for that matter, Vader, will figure into Ahsoka, which, like Mandalorian, is set five years after the events of Return of the Jedi, and therefore after Vader’s death.

The character of Tano was the padawan (apprentice) of Skywalker, so the latter’s appearance in the series could be in the form of flashbacks. But knowing a thing or two about how the Force works, sources also posit the theory the character could be a Force Ghost.

Disney was as silent as Darth Maul when asked to comment. Production is due to begin in early 2022.

Christensen famously played the future Vader in 2002’s Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and 2005’s Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Fans went wild when it was announced at Disney’s investor day in December 2020 that the actor was returning to the role for Obi-Wan Kenobi, the live-action series starring Ewan McGregor.

Christensen is repped by Paradigm.