"Star Wars" prequel trilogy star
Hayden Christensen will return as Anakin Skywalker, the former Jedi padawan who turned to the dark side, in the second season of
"Ahsoka". The announcement was made recently by the actor himself during
"Star Wars" Celebration in Tokyo.
Christensen joined
"Ahsoka" star
Rosario Dawson, series creator
Dave Filoni, and executive producer
Jon Favreau on stage during a panel discussion. Christensen told the crowd he will be returning for Season 2 of the hit Disney+ series, which is set to start filming again next week:
"There's not much I can share, but Anakin will be back for season two"
This upcoming season promises a deeper exploration of his bond with Ahsoka Tano, his former padawan. Filoni has made it clear that
George Lucas already told the definitive Anakin story, but he also believes that the character still matters in the context of Ahsoka's personal journey:
"Anakin's not here to be redefined. His role is more about emotional continuity, how a master's influence lingers in the student's life".
It was also revealed at the Celebration that
"Game of Thrones" actor
Rory McCann is stepping in to play evil Jedi Baylan Skol after the death of
Ray Stevenson. Stevenson died in May 2023 before season one of
"Ahsoka" premiered. Dawson worked with McCann 20 years ago in
Oliver Stone's Alexander. McCann also starred in
"Gladiator II",
"Hot Fuzz" and
"Jumanji: The Next Level". In
"Game of Thrones" he played Sandor 'The Hound' Clegane.
Admiral Ackbar, famous for his victory in the Battle of Endor in
"Star Wars: Return of the Jedi", is also returning and will be going head-to-head with Thrawn. Thrawn intends to reassemble the Empire through a series of military and political maneuvers intended to restore the Empire and destroy the New Republic. According to Filoni, Thrawn is
"the iconic villain. Thrawn doesn't have the force, but holds his own against everybody."
