'Star Wars' Live-Action 'Ahsoka' Series Will Feature Return of Prequel Major Star

Hayden Christensen will reportedly star in Ahsoka, one of the next Disney+ Star Wars series as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Rosario Dawson is also playing the title character, Ahsoka Tano, who made her live-action debut in The Mandalorian Season 2. Ahsoka is a character introduced in The Clone Wars animated series, set between the movies Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.

Christensen will appear in Ahsoka, but it is not clear what his role will be. Ahsoka is believed to be set after the events of Return of the Jedi, in which Anakin/Vader died. He could appear in flashbacks though, either as Anakin if there are scenes set during the Clone Wars or as Vader if they show flashbacks to the period before A New Hope. Another possibility is he could play a Force Ghost since Return of the Jedi did establish that Anakin became a ghost, similar to Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. Disney has not commented on The Hollywood Reporter's report on Christensen's casting.

Ahsoka will be written by Dave Filoni, who introduced Ahsoka as Anakin's padawan during the Clone Wars. Jon Favreau, who created The Mandalorian, is also involved as an executive producer. Production is expected to start in early 2022.

Christensen played Anakin in Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) and Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005), alongside Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan and Natalie Portman as Padme Amidala. His performances were not held in high regard, but fans have begun warming up to him in recent years as more embrace George Lucas' prequels. He will also star in Obi-Wan Kenobi, an upcoming limited series with McGregor, but it is not clear how big his role will be in that series either. It is set in the years before A New Hope though before Anakin became one with the Force.

Ahsoka is one of the few Star Wars characters introduced outside the main live-action movies to become a major pop culture icon. She was introduced in the 2008 animated movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and initially received a mixed reception. As her role on The Clone Wars series grew and the character developed, more fans embraced her. She later appeared in Star Wars Rebels and has always been voiced by Ashley Eckstein, who even had a brief voice cameo in Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker. In The Mandalorian Season 2 episode "Chapter 13: The Jedi," Dawson made her first appearance as Ahsoka.

The next live-action Star Wars Disney+ series is The Book of Boba Fett, which will finally premiere on Dec. 29. Obi-Wan Kenobi, which will only run six episodes, will be next in 2022. A third season of The Mandalorian is also in production. The Acolyte, which is set hundreds of years before A New Hope, is in development.