In a galaxy far, far away – which, right now, is where we all wish we’d rather be – Lucasfilm apparently have plans for the return of a familiar face. And it’s one that many have expected to see back in the franchise for a while now.
According to sources close to WGTC – the same ones who told us [SPOILERS] would be revealed as a traitor in The Rise of Skywalker and Ahsoka will cameo in The Mandalorian. Not to mention that Ewan McGregor was returning for the Obi-Wan show, too – the studio currently has plans to bring back Hayden Christensen, who starred as Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels.
From what we understand, he’s being lined up for cameo appearances in multiple Disney+ series, including Kenobi, the planned Ahsoka TV show, and possibly even The Mandalorian. And while exact plans for where he’ll end up can always change, it certainly sounds like we haven’t seen the last of Christensen in Jedi robes and that the actor will be making at least a few more cameo appearances over the coming years.
Of course, there are a mix of readings to pull from this. For one, Hayden’s performances in the films – his last one being back in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith – were universally panned at the time. But time has a curious ability to soften bad reputations.
Though I wouldn’t exactly describe his status among Star Wars fans as divine reverence, a certain amount of nostalgic affection has certainly built up over the years, particularly in the wake of the backlash against Disney’s movies. Suddenly in the eyes of many, his performance – and those films – don’t seem so bad.
The Mouse House aren’t quite that rose-tinted, however. They know full well how buzzed fans get at the prospect of returning characters, iconic or otherwise. They also understand Christensen’s, er, limited acting range, and the implications his return would have for the franchise. The decision to give him minor appearances in the extended Star Wars canon, then, as opposed to chunkier roles in their movies, would placate all parties. Exactly how he’ll be brought back into the various shows they’re planning to drop him into remains to be seen, but to have him involved would certainly make a lot of sense from where I’m stood.
