Ahsoka is set to bring back the titular Jedi master for her own galactic adventure. The character, portrayed by Rosario Dawson, will make her third live-action appearance after having brief roles in The Mandalorian Season 2 and The Book of Boba Fett. The upcoming Disney+ series is expected to revolve around Ahsoka's pursuit of Grand Admiral Thrawn, her search for Ezra Bridger, and potentially her history with the Jedi that would become Darth Vader.
Ahsoka is filled with a stellar ensemble from the galaxy far, far, away. Aside from the inclusion of Thrawn and Bridger, the series will also showcase the live-action debut of Sabine Wren, and she will be portrayed by Natasha Liu Bordizzo. In addition, Ray Stevenson will also play a villainous admiral, while Mary Elizabeth Winstead also rounds out the cast.
There were also reports that Hayden Christensen would reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker in the upcoming series, but Lucasfilm has yet to confirm if this is true. Now, Dawson has shared an intriguing story regarding Christensen's reported return to the Disney+ series.
Rosario Dawson Responds to Darth Vader Leak
Back in October 2021, Ahsoka actress Rosario Dawson shared an Instagram post to welcome back Hayden Christensen, after a trade broke that the actor would reprise his role of Anakin Skywalker in the upcoming Disney+ series. However, the actress later took the post down, leading fans to question if Lucasfilm asked her to.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Dawson confirmed that the studio told her to take her post down:
“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.’”
Although the post was taken down by Dawson, it is still unclear if Christensen will indeed return as Anakin in Ahsoka.
While plot details are still being kept under wraps, Ahsoka showrunner Dave Filoni teased that the series is a "continuous story," saying that "it is definitely driving toward a goal" as opposed to "being little singular adventures:"
“Ahsoka is a continuous story. It is definitely driving toward a goal, in my mind, as opposed to being little singular adventures. That’s what I want the character to be doing, and I think that’s what fans want now. They have such a relationship with her. I’ve only recently started to understand that all those kids that watched Clone Wars are now a lot older—they’re very excited about all the things they grew up with, as they should be.”
Vanity Fair also reported that Ahsoka will premiere on Disney+ sometime in 2023.
Ahsoka's Unexpected Reunion with Anakin Skywalker
It seems that Marvel Studios is not the only one that has snipers.
Rosario Dawson's latest reveal about Lucasfilm asking her to take down her social media post indicates that the Star Wars studio is also going all-in with trying to keep spoilers from leaking ahead of the show's release. In the age of social media, this isn't uncommon.
Whether Lucasfilm confirms it or not, Hayden Christensen's return as Anakin Skywalker or Darth Vader to Ahsoka is a welcome development for its storyline as it allows the titular character to be fleshed out even more. Including her former Jedi Master into the mix, in either a flashback or in the present day as a Force ghost, presents many exciting story opportunities.
Meanwhile, Dave Filoni's remark about Ahsoka being a "continuous story" should serve as a positive sign for Star Wars fans, indicating that the show will be more serialized than other series like The Mandalorian.
The fact that Ahsoka is "driving toward a goal" could also mean that plot threads such as the search for Ezra Bridger and finding Grand Admiral Thrawn will be resolved during the season. However, it is unknown if Thrawn will ultimately be defeated, since the villain seems poised to serve as the big bad of the highly-anticipated crossover event that Star Wars is teasing for Disney+.
Ahsoka arrives on Disney+ in 2023.
