One of the biggest bits of news out of Star Wars Celebration is that Hayden Christensen will be returning as Anakin Skywalker in Season 2 of Ahsoka. Following the big reveal, we had the chance to speak to Christensen about playing Anakin again after nearly 20 years, why he likes when Star Wars goes dark, and even which Anakin meme is his favorite.
We began our chat talking about what other Anakin stories Christensen would want to bring to the screen, and he shared with us how much he would "love to get to do some more of the Clone Wars-era." This tracks as, besides that great scene in Ahsoka and some smaller parts in the films, most of the Clone Wars-era Anakin we've seen has been in animation, where he was played by Matt Lanter.
"I know my friend Ewan would be game for that as well," Christensen added. "It's a cool look. It's a cool sort of period in Star Wars and I think there are great stories that we could tell there. So who knows, maybe one day."
While we'd all love to see that happen, Christensen understands it would "require a little bit of aging" magic to make that happen. However, that doesn't discourage him much or make him think of leaving the character anytime soon if he has his way.
"I love this character," Christensen said. "I would love the chance to continue to explore Anakin's story some more and hopefully do the Darth Vader timeline a little bit more too. I think there are more stories there to be told."
Our conversation then shifted to Revenge of the Sith, as it is gearing up to celebrate its 20th anniversary on May 19, 2025. The film remains one of the darkest in the whole franchise for many reasons, but Christensen likes when Star Wars isn't afraid to explore tough topics.
"George Lucas made some very bold choices and I love that he did that," Christensen said. "However, he did it in a way that we could still digest everything. For example, Anakin is killing younglings, but we don't actually see it. But yeah, I like it when Star Wars goes dark. That works for me."
Revenge of the Sith was also the last time Christensen played Anakin/Darth Vader on the big screen, and he then took some time to reflect what it was like to return to the character after almost 20 years.
"Of course it feels different. I'm different," Christensen said. "I've had 20 years of life that I didn't have before, and that just sort of changes your perspective on things. But in a lot of ways, I feel even more connected to Anakin now than I ever have because I've had more time to think about him and sort of try to understand him.
"It's a very unique thing coming back to a role after all of these years and an interesting sort of exercise in the craft of acting, having to sort of account for that passage of time. But I feel very fortunate that I have the opportunity to do it."
To end our conversation, we shifted focus to Star Wars movies in general and we wanted to know if Christensen had any thoughts on the never-ending debate of what order the films should be watched.
"Not really," Christensen said. "I don't know that there is a right way or a wrong way, and I think there's merit to both. I think George Lucas would like you to start with episode one and experience the story in a linear fashion, but there's definitely something to be said for starting with episode four. I've thought about it myself as I have yet to show my daughter the films... I mean she is going to see her dad do some sort of gnarly stuff."
Lastly, we had to ask Christensen his thoughts on the many memes featuring Anakin and if he has a favorite. While he's seen the sand one a million times and enjoys the one of him and Padmé in the field, his recent favorite is one of Emperor Palpatine begging Anakin to not let Mace Windu kill him, and Anakin says, "He's just reflecting your lightning back you... just stop shooting lightning!"
For more, check out For more, check out why Ahsoka delivers such a powerful testament to Anakin Skywalker's legacy and all the biggest news from The Mandalorian & Grogu, Ahsoka, Andor panels.
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.
