Hayden Christensen will play Force ghost Anakin in season 2 of Ahsoka, giving Disney a clear franchise move around one of Star Wars' most recognizable figures. The update arrived on Friday, August 14, 2026 at the 2026 D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, alongside a personal note from Christensen about watching shows with his 11-year-old daughter, Briar Rose.
Friday, August 14, 2026
“I have a young daughter, and I love watching shows with her,” Christensen said at the 2026 D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event on Friday, August 14. He added, “Her favorite ones right now are Liv and Maddie and Henry Danger, so I enjoy getting to watch those with her.”
That same day, Disney said he will appear in season 2 of Ahsoka as Force ghost Anakin. For Star Wars, the move keeps Christensen visible inside the franchise while narrowing the role to a specific return rather than a broad reentry.
Briar Rose and Darth Vader
Briar Rose has already heard part of the family story. In 2022, Christensen said on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, “She knows Daddy’s Darth Vader, [but] she’s never seen Daddy as Darth Vader,” and he added, “I’m still waiting a little bit, you know, until that happens.”
He also said then, “I might show her the prequels soon, but still, there’s some scenes we might have to fast forward through.” That puts the new Ahsoka role in a sharper frame: Briar Rose has watched around the edges of his Star Wars history, but not the full version tied to Darth Vader on screen.
Anakin in Star Wars
Christensen, 45 years old, is known for playing Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars. The Force ghost version in Ahsoka keeps that character alive in a form built for continuity, not spectacle, and it gives Disney a way to extend the role without pretending it is the same thing as a full physical return.
Christensen also said he recently got into The Agency with Michael Fassbender. That detail sits beside the bigger business point here: Disney is still using Christensen as a franchise asset, while his own viewing habits remain tied to what he can watch with Briar Rose today.
Rachel Bilson and Briar Rose
Rachel Bilson said in 2020 that Briar Rose was not aware that her dad is one of the biggest villains of all time. In January, she said, “Ours is, like, a unique version of it. We do a lot of stuff together — a lot,” and, “We have been able to keep it very copacetic and nice for [Briar].”
That is the practical read on this update: Briar Rose is old enough to follow the shows Christensen watches with her, but not yet the full Darth Vader story he has been holding back. When she finally sees that part of Star Wars, the family conversation will catch up with the franchise role Disney just put back on screen.
