Star Wars Celebration News Hints at Anakin in 'The Last Jedi'

Luke Skywalker is officially going to be hanging out with his father. Mark Hamill is set to appear with Hayden Christensen onstage at Star Wars Celebration later this month. And the pairing of these actors feels like a major move on the part of Lucasfilm to generate some Anakin Skywalker love.

On March 31, the offical Twitter account of Star Wars Celebration in Orlando revealed that on April 13, actor Hayden Christensen will take part in a panel which celebrates 40 years of Star Wars. Because 2017 is the 40th anniversary of the original film’s initial release, it makes sense to have a huge panel with representatives from all eras of Star Wars. Mark Hamill is part of this event, as is Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine), Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian, Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Warwick Davis (Wicket the Ewok), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Dave Filoni (producer of Rebels), and Lucasfilm executive Kathleen Kennedy.

With all the contemporary love for the classic trilogy, the majority of these names aren’t surprising, but Christensen’s inclusion is. He’s the only person included in this event that exclusively represents the prequel trilogy. Is Hayden Christensen being hyped up at Star Wars Celebration for marketing reasons? If he’s going to make that rumored appearance in Star Wars: The Last Jedi as the ghost of Anakin Skywalker, this would be a good step to getting fans at the biggest Star Wars convention in the world to start loving him again. Notably, Mark Hamill openly defended the prequels back in January.

Obviously, even if Christensen is in The Last Jedi, it might not be announced at Star Wars Celebration and may not even be revealed in any of the trailers. Still, it’s completely feasible for Anakin’s ghost to appear in the next film and speak to Kylo Ren, Luke Skywalker, or even … Rey.

The Last Jedi opens on December 15. Star Wars Celebration begins in Orlando on April 13.