The Star Wars franchise has had a big year. The Lucasfilm saga has made its long-awaited return to movie theaters with The Mandalorian and Grogu, which ironically brought the franchise's two biggest TV stars to the silver screen. Although it had a tough time at the box office, it was a generally enjoyable adventure from that galaxy so far, far away. The TV arm fared much better, as the highly-anticipated Maul – Shadow Lord earned critical acclaim, all while overperforming and remaining on Disney Plus' daily Top 10 for weeks after its run had completed.
That's far from it from our favorite galaxy as two major projects await next year. One is on the silver screen with the Ryan Gosling-led Star Wars: Starfighter and the other is the second season of Ahsoka, which has been a long time coming. Another thing that makes 2027 a particularly big Star Wars year is that one of the franchise's biggest legends has confirmed his return.
Hayden Christensen confirms Star Wars return in Ahsoka season 2
It turns out that the rumors are true: Hayden Christensen has confirmed that he will reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker, a.k.a. Darth Vader himself, in Ahsoka season 2. The actor appeared at a panel during Space Con in San Antonio and, as he wrapped up, dropped a very Marvel-esque bombshell in revealing: "Anakin will be back in Ahsoka Season 2 in 2027!"
To say that this is a game-changer would be an understatement. While Anakin was a force - no pun intended - in the first season of Ahsoka, it was unclear as to whether he would return in the second. Yes, there were rumors and fan theories, but the truth is that there has been a lot of uncertainty with Ahsoka season 2. The fact that this is actually happening suggests that Lucasfilm still plans on going big with the second season - despite fears regarding the future of the show.
The response has obviously been overwhelmingly positive, with Star Wars fans just as eager to hear actual news about Ahsoka season 2 as they are to hear that Anakin will be back. Better yet, Star Wars Holochron has unveiled a new look at him in the show:
A new look at Hayden Christensen as Anakin in AHSOKA has been revealed pic.twitter.com/Ztlfo5dEYY
— Star Wars Holocron (@sw_holocron) June 20, 2026
Just the name Darth Vader is more than enough to send chills up and down the spines of Star Wars fans. The character was, of course, the original Star Wars villain, serving as an overarching threat throughout the original trilogy. But it was Christensen's performance in the Prequel Trilogy of the 2000s that really highlighted the nuance within the character and showed us all how he became to be the feared antagonist we all know him to be.
Christensen appeared in 2002's Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and 2005's Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. While the prequel movies are a point of contention among fans, his performance is widely regarded as one of the best aspects of them, showcasing how his time as Darth Vader benefitted the legendary character overall. Look no further than his subsequent returns nearly two decades later.
Yes, Christensen has since reprise the role in Disney Plus shows Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka season 1. The first of those came in 2022 and it, quite literally, broke the internet, with audiences stunned by the prospect of him and his prequel series co-star Ewan McGregor sharing the screen again. The first season of Ahsoka came the very next year and it really highlighted how interconnected the Disney Plus shows could be with the classic movies.
Anakin's return in Ahsoka season 2 could reinvigorate the franchise
Speaking of Ahsoka, there has been uncertainty about its future due to the overall issues with the franchise. It was unclear where Star Wars would go after the Skywalker Saga reached its natural conclusion and, after the box office failure of Solo: A Star Wars Story, Lucasfilm decided to focus on the small screen. The Mandalorian's blockbuster success paved the way for spinoffs, sequels, and other Star Wars content on the Disney Plus streaming service, which ultimately diluted the big screen appeal of the brand - particularly because there were some divisive projects along the way.
With The Mandalorian and Grogu now seemingly returning Star Wars to the movies (again with mixed results), the future of the streaming era is in doubt. While animated projects like Maul will always remain, only Ahsoka remains on the live-action front - and considering that there will have been foyr years between the releases of seasons 1 and 2, that doesn't bode too well for its future.
Fans grew particularly concerned for Ahsoka as Disney and Lucasfilm bafflingly delayed it to 2027 despite it previously being promised for a 2026 release. And with it being the last shred of the Mando-Verse left, it's unclear what direction the whole franchise is heading in - especially as The Mandalorian and Grogu didn't add anything new to the overall lore or set up a new adventure in the future.
With the confirmation that Darth Vader himself will appear in Ahsoka season 2 after all, it suggests that Lucasfilm and Disney Plus still have big things planned for it. Obviously, Anakin and Ahsoka have history, but just the confirmation that the Star Wars icon will be back is a huge vote of confidence in the show's sophomore outing - and a reminder that it shouldn't be overlooked when it does arrive next year. If it can successfully point the Star Wars franchise in a new direction, we might be spending a lot more time in that reinvigorated galaxy so far, far away.
Here's hoping that he has a big role and pulls it off.
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