Hayden Christensen is set to reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader for Disney+’s upcoming “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy announced during Disney’s investor day Thursday.
The “Star Wars” series stars Ewan McGregor as the Jedi Master originally portrayed by Alec Guinness and begins 10 years after the dramatic events of the film “Revenge of the Sith.”
McGregor will executive produce the series, alongside series director Deborah Chow and writer Hossein Amini. Jason McGatlin, Lucasfilm’s executive vice president of production, will serve as co-producer.
Earlier in her presentation, Kennedy revealed that Disney+ has ordered two spinoffs of “The Mandalorian” from series creator Jon Favreau.
One will focus on Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) and the other on the Rangers of New Republic. The Ahsoka Tano-centric series will debut on Christmas Day 2021.
In “Star Wars” lore, Ahsoka Tano is the former Jedi apprentice of Anakin Skywalker (aka Darth Vader). She made her live-action debut during the second season of “The Mandalorian.”
Disney+ also said its series starring Diego Luna’s “Rogue One” character Cassian Andor, will be titled “Andor.”
Additionally, the streaming service announced “The Acolyte,” a mystery-thriller series from “Russian Doll” showrunner Leslye Headland that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era, and a series centered on Lando Calrissian (“Lando”) from “Dear White People” creator Justin Simien. Donald Glover played a younger version of the character in “Solo,” though his involvement in the solo series was not announced.
Earlier on Thursday, Disney teased that a whole bunch of new “Star Wars” content would come to Disney+.
“Over the next few years, we will release roughly 10 Marvel series, 10 ‘Star Wars’ series, 15 Disney live-action, Disney Animation and Pixar series, as well as 15 Disney live-action, Disney Animation and Pixar features,” Kareem Daniel, chairman of media and entertainment distribution for The Walt Disney Company, said during the livestreamed Disney investor day presentation.
Hayden Christensen returns as Darth Vader, joining Ewan McGregor in OBI-WAN KENOBI. The Original Series begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Revenge of the Sith, and is coming to #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/9WR2npRUkk
— Star Wars (@starwars) December 10, 2020