Your attitude towards Hayden Christensen in the Star Wars movies likely depends on how old you were when you first saw the prequels. Those who grew up on Luke Skywalker and the pre-CGI Yoda might have little love for him, while kids of the prequel era feel the opposite. One thing we know for sure, though, is that Dave Filoni loves Christensen.
Filoni now has a huge Star Wars job as the chief creative officer of Lucasfilm, so his opinions on Star Wars characters really count. After all, he’s the guy shaping the new Star Wars movies we’ll be seeing in the next few years. And we can expect Christensen to be a key part of the Star Wars cast by the sounds of it.
“His lightsaber skills are just insane,” Filoni told Entertainment Weekly in a new interview about the Star Wars series Ahsoka. “I mean, he is the Chosen One. There is no doubt.”
Filoni, of course, has played an active role in telling Anakin Skywalker‘s story throughout the Clone Wars series, so we can understand why he’s such a big fan of the character. While Filoni worked with Matt Lanter in the role during his animated show, he got chance to direct Christensen in Ahsoka.
He said: “It was kind of amazing to have somebody who had this experience, too, who would know the things I was talking about related to Anakin and how George saw him. We really understood each other and the language of it.”
Christensen took center stage in Ahsoka episode 5, meeting his former Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano in the spiritual realm known as the World Between Worlds. There was definitely an emotional heft to that story, but it did feel a little like we were just doing Clone Wars karaoke to catch everyone else up on the history.
However, we are definitely excited at the prospect of seeing more of one of the most complex Star Wars villains on screen. One of the new movies on the way is set to be directed by Filoni, pulling together the various recent TV series into a climactic movie.
We’d expect to see Anakin in some form when that film comes along, as part of Ahsoka’s continued reckoning with her past. But even more enticing is the evident bond between Christensen and one of the key creative forces in the Star Wars universe. Nearly 20 years after Revenge of the Sith, Christensen’s best movies as Anakin could still be ahead of him.
For more from the galaxy far, far away, check out our complete guide to help you watch the Star Wars movies in order. We’ve also looked ahead to the future with the Andor season 2 release date, as well as our long read on why Rey thoroughly deserved her new Star Wars movie.
We’ve also explored why Thrawn’s plan in Ahsoka has more to it than meets the eye. Finally, learn how Ahsoka’s biggest mystery should change how we watch Star Wars.