TheStar Warsfranchise has yet another busy year in 2023, withThe Bad Batchcurrently airing on Disney+. Meanwhile, other series likeThe Mandalorian, Skeleton Crew,andAhsokaare all scheduled for this year as well. Interestingly, all the live action shows of 2023 are set in the Mando mini-universe that Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have teased. This group of interconnected shows all share one broader narrative (The Book of Boba Fettbeing the first example of this). Not too much is known aboutSkeleton Crewoutside of some touchy production issues and star Jude Law. The other series debuting is, of course,Ahsoka.
The latter show is a little better known, with an announced cast that includes Rosario Dawson and Natasha Liu Bordizzo, among others. Although not officially announced by the studio, Dawson let it slip last year that Hayden Christensen would be reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader yet again. The question on fans’ minds, then, is how much Christensen will appear in the newStar Warsseries. Given that Dawson stated his return so far in advance, and the fact that many trade reports in the industry have confirmed as much, it seems likely that Hayden Christensen will have a sizable amount of screen time.
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As of now,Ahsokaappears to be a pseudo-sequel toStar Wars Rebels, which was also developed by Dave Filoni. The presence of Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, a key character in that animated show, appears to confirm as much. Some footage shown at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California in 2022 also revealed the presence of Hera Syndulla, who is reportedly played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead (who is, interestingly enough, the partner of Obi-Wan Kenobi himself, Ewan McGregor). Ezra Bridger has also been cast, and an appearance by Thrawn seems to be inevitable, especially given that he was name-dropped in theAhsoka-centric episode ofThe Mandalorianseason 2.
Beyond theRebelsconnections, this series definitely seems to have a broader story than just that. After all, it is about Ahsoka, who was around long before the Ghost Crew came together to help fight the Empire. Hayden Christensen’s presence appears to confirm as much, as his character was such a massive part of Ahsoka’s early days and her training as a Jedi. The duospent several seasons togetherin animation, with Anakin as Ahsoka’s master and mentor throughout her Jedi training. Even beyond that, and even after Anakin turned to the dark side, he continued to have a large impact on Rosario Dawson’s hero, as the two fought in animation during the era of the Empire. It was in that battle that Ahsoka appeared to meet her end, but the world between worlds subplot ensured she lived on. It’s also a distinct possibility that those sorts of mystical Force elements come into play in this new show as well.
Regardless of the story, everything will all center around the character of Ahsoka. This includes Anakin, and the fact he has such a strong bond with her means he could be in this show quite a lot. There’s also the fact that Ahsoka has the potential to show different eras, including the Clone Wars anda younger version of the Jedi hero, or something set in and around the events of the original trilogy. TheObi-Wan Kenobishow did not feature any Clone Wars flashbacks, to the surprise of many, but it’s entirely possible that they were being saved for the 2023 series. After all, Filoni was the showrunner ofThe Clone Wars, so it would make sense to leave those sequences to him.
Beyond that, Hayden Christensen might just appear as a Force ghost as well, meaning even more potential screen time. He has appeared in the afterlife only once so far, in a special edition change toReturn of the Jedi.Interestingly, that scene came about as George Lucas used test footage shot for Anakin’s outfit in the final film of the prequel trilogy. Ultimately, that footage found more of a purpose as Anakin’s Force ghost look, and it appears that that might not be the only time the character’s spirit returns. However, withAhsokaset to primarily take place after the events of the original trilogy, and the fact that fans know Anakin’s Force ghost was around andoccasionally communicating with others, it seems likely that audiences might get a look at a different version of the character in that form.
Star Wars’ 2023 is certainly a busy one, just as it was last year. In 2022,The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi,andAndorall debuted. All of these series are currently available to stream exclusively on Disney+. Before theAhsokashow, though,The Mandalorianseason 3 is next up and scheduled to release on March 1.
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