Anakin Skywalker has always been a particularly unique character in Star Wars, to the point where even actor Hayden Christensen's daughter hasn't seen his movies yet due to how traumatic it might be at her age. Yet even now, many fans still adore Anakin and want to see more of him. Well, according to the character's voice actor, that might happen sooner than they think.
Matt Lanter, who voiced Anakin in his animated form throughout Star Wars: The Clone Wars, recently teased the return of that particular iteration of the character. During an interview discussing Lanter's role in the upcoming Netflix series Jupiter's Legacy, he decided to throw Star Wars fans a bone with a rather direct indication that he would return as Anakin, though he wasn't at liberty to mention any specifics as of yet. After fans recently learned why Anakin built the eternally nervous protocol droid C-3PO, it seems it's almost time for them to learn even more about the character.
"There's some new Lucasfilm Animation going on," Lanter said when speaking to Entertainment Weekly. "I've been a part of some things I can't talk about yet. You'll see Anakin again." This likely comes as a relief to fans of The Clone Wars who particularly enjoyed his take on the character. He went on to reassure everyone that he hadn't forgotten about Anakin or the viewers, saying "I never quite put Anakin down, whether I'm doing a video game or something new for Lucasfilm Animation."
Considering how Disney loves to milk the Star Wars franchise, there are currently a number of different projects that could serve as Lanter's return. One particularly likely scenario involves the upcoming series Star Wars: The Bad Batch, which follows a rather offbeat group of clone soldiers shortly after the time The Clone Wars took place. While Anakin had become Darth Vader by this point, Lanter was still able to make a short cameo as the character in Star Wars Rebels, so the idea isn't too farfetched. Though Lanter's wording suggests that his upcoming appearance or appearances might be more than simple one-offs like that.
Of course, there are also plenty of lesser-known productions and even some that haven't been announced yet, so those are distinct possibilities as well. Another prime candidate would be the curious collection of short films known as Star Wars: Visions. Visions will feature work from animators in the Japanese anime industry, exploring standalone stories within the Star Wars universe. Considering Anakin's (and by extension Darth Vader's) importance to the whole series, it stands to reason that the character will appear in some form as part of that project.
However it happens, fans can rest easy in the knowledge that Lanter's take on Anakin will eventually return, just like Christensen's version is set to appear in the highly anticipated Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series. Here's hoping he'll get the chance for one more snarky reply to Obi-Wan before things are done.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is now available on Disney Plus.
Source: Entertainment Weekly