Even though 2019's The Rise of Skywalker supposedly concluded the Skywalker Saga, perhaps Luke said it best when he said "no one's ever really gone."
Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One himself who goes on to become Darth Vader, is set to return in the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series with Hayden Christensen reprising his role.
But now, it seems that Anakin's return could be even earlier than fans originally expected.
MATT LANTER TEASES THE RETURN OF ANAKIN SKYWALKER
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, The Clone Wars voice actor Matt Lanter admitted that he's "been a part of some things I can't talk about yet. You'll see Anakin again."
"There's some new Lucasfilm Animation going on. I've been a part of some things I can't talk about yet. You'll see Anakin again. I never quite put Anakin down, whether I'm doing a video game or something new for Lucasfilm Animation."
Matt Lanter provided the voice for Anakin Skywalker in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars that ran from 2008 through 2020.
Despite positive fan reception, the show struggled to remain on the air. It was actually revived for a final season that aired on Disney+ in 2020 where, as Lanter said, they "properly got to finish."
"[The series finale] didn't come as much of a shock as that first time because that first time we felt like we didn't get to finish. Now, we properly got to finish. We got to send off the show in an emotional way in the way that Dave wanted to send it off. I actually think it was really cool that it premiered when everyone's spirits were down [because of the pandemic]. For Star Wars fans, it was exciting to have something new. I think it lifted everyone up a bit."
WE MEET AGAIN, AT LAST
But even though the cast and crew were able to finish The Clone Wars, Lanter's comments indicate that Lucasfilm Animation isn't quite done with the voice actor.
While fan reception to Christensen's Anakin has always been mixed, fans have always been positive toward Lanter's iteration of the Chosen One with some believing The Clone Wars' portrayal of the Jedi to be better than that of live-action.
Therefore, it makes sense for the studio to want to keep Lanter around since, for many, he's the best Anakin.
So where will see Anakin again? The obvious choice is in Star Wars: The Bad Batch.
Lucasfilm's newest animated series is a spinoff of The Clone Wars and takes place after the events of Revenge of the Sith.
Considering the series trailer has already shown Emperor Palpatine, Grand Moff Tarkin, Captain Rex, and more, it's likely Lanter's Anakin will appear in either a flashback or as an early version of Darth Vader.
And despite Lucasfilm's success with live-action series like The Mandalorian, it's unlikely Dave Filoni intends to only tell Star Wars stories through a single medium. Like Lanter said, "There's some new Lucasfilm Animation going on," and The Bad Batch may only be the beginning.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch debuts May the 4th on Disney+.
