The future appears to be bright for the Star Wars franchise, as the galaxy far, far away will be expanding with a plethora of television shows (available with a Disney+ subscription). That slate includes Ahsoka, a series centered on the fan-favorite Jedi who first appeared in animated form in Star Wars: The Clone Wars before being played in live action by Rosario Dawson on The Mandalorian. Dawson reprises her role for the spinoff and is super hyped. As a matter of fact, she was so excited at one point that she seemingly confirmed a major rumor on her social media and apparently got into a bit of trouble for it.
So far, Disney and Lucasfilm haven’t revealed too much official information on Ahsoka, though reports from the trades have dropped details here and there. One of the biggest tidbits was the news that Hayden Christesen had signed on to reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker on the show. After the story broke, Rosario Dawson posted an A+ response to the purported casting on Instagram. When reflecting on the move during a cover story for Vanity Fair, Dawson explained that entertainment company behind the show reached out to her:
I looked in my email, and Star Wars was like, ‘YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE THAT DOWN.’ I’m like, ‘Man, I can’t be trusted.’
If there’s one thing both fans and those involved with the Star Wars franchise know, it’s that there’s a lot of scrutiny when it comes to what’s revealed about upcoming projects. This has been true for the films over the past several decades, and it remains the case for the cavalcade of TV fare. Based on the actress’ comments, it’s clear that Disney was firm when responding to her post, though at least she can find a bit of humor in the situation now.
In the same VF story, Lucasfilm would neither confirm nor deny if Hayden Christensen will actually appear in Ahsoka Tano’s solo series. His inclusion would make sense, though, considering Anakin Skywalker’s relationship with Tano. Tano was trained by the “SkyGuy” during the bulk of The Clone Wars and, in the process, he and “Snips” forged an endearing relationship. Given where the new series takes place within the franchise’s timeline, Skywalker could either appear in flashbacks or as a Force ghost.
There are also practical behind-the-scenes reasons as to why Hayden Christensen could easily reprise the role. He’s already starring in Obi-Wan Kenobi this year yet, as far as we know, he’ll only be playing Darth Vader there. Also, while this doesn’t have true bearing on his casting, it’s worth mentioning that Christensen prepared for his Kenobi role by binging all of The Clone Wars and Rebels. If you ask me, he’s a shoo in, but we’ll just have to wait for more details.
If reports are to be believed, Ahsoka (which recently kicked off production with a BTS photo) is assembling quite a roster of talent. This includes Rebels alum Ray Stevensen and Bird of Prey star Mary Elizabeth Winstead, whose casting was confirmed by her partner, Ewan McGregor, in VF’s story.) Rumors suggest that the show has also cast a live-action Ezra Bridger actor and has tapped a star to play the real Thrawn. As filming continues more news will undoubtedly break, and I’m certain Rosario Dawson will act with caution when deciding what to share on social media.
Ahsoka is set to arrive sometime in 2023 but, in the meantime, you can officially see Hayden Christensen return in Obi-Wan Kenobi, which premieres on May 27th. You’re not going to want to miss either of these Star Wars shows.
