6 Things We Learned from Hayden Christensen's Keynote at FAN EXPO New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 9: Actor Hayden Christensen performs on stage during FAN EXPO 2026 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on January 9, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images)

The Chosen One himself, Hayden Christensen, was a special guest at this weekend's FAN EXPO in New Orleans, during which the fan-favorite star of Star Warstold some interesting things about a galaxy far, far away.

Welcome to Lucasfilm

The official Lucasfilm YouTube channel just released a video called “Welcome to Lucasfilm,” which ends with Dave Filoni talking about Star Wars.

How Maul the Shadowlord could fulfill George Lucas' plans for a sequel trilogy

Maul (Sam Witwer) in the upcoming Maul, Lord of Shadows, which will air later this year on Disney+.

Maul – Shadow Lord will (in all likelihood) be the first Star Wars TV series in 2026. Announced at Star Wars Celebration Japan last year, the new animated series is set between the events of The Clone Wars and Rebels and follows everyone's favorite Sith Lord-turned-crime lord as he rules the underworld following the rise of the Empire. Judging by footage shown exclusively at Celebration Japan and other rumors, there's a good chance Maul of Shadows will be more than just a solo outing for fan-favorite character Sam Witwer, but a fulfillment of George Lucas' shelved plans for a sequel trilogy.

The trailer for Maul - Lord of Shadows shows dark gangs of crime, ominous talk of changing the situation in the galaxy and, of course, Maul himself. However, it was the appearance of another character that made us think about the full scope of the upcoming series.

'Starfighter' will be like 'Stranger Things'

Star Wars: Starfighterdirector Shawn Levy spoke about the similarities with Stranger Things. Levy was an executive producer and director of the hit Netflix series.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter the director expressed his desire that"Star Starfighterfelt “epic and intimate” in the same way asStranger Thingsdid. He also talked about how the show taught him not to be overwhelmed by franchise expectations and instead focus on the characters.

If I've learned anything from Stranger Things, it's that the scale of a franchise's expectations can be daunting. But you will go astray if you focus on this. I realized the need to stay true to the characters, underlying themes and relationships on screen. Yes, there is spectacle and scale here, just like inStranger Things. And of course,Star Warshas spectacle, scale, and adventure on a level that I have never achieved in my entire career. But likeStranger Thingsit's also heavily character-driven. I think if I can balance the epic with the intimate like the Duffer Brothers did. I will be able to create an original newStar Warsadventure that will truly satisfy fans and audiences.

Kathleen Kennedy could be leaving Lucasfilm soon - replacement revealed

Kathleen Kennedy may still leave the post of president of Lucasfilm in the near future. This could lead to changes inStar Wars, which has been criticized for controversial decisions under her.

Last year it was already reported that Kennedy was leaving leadership. Now these rumors have resurfaced. This time it became known who will replace her.

According to Puck News, Kennedy will be replaced by Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan, who will serve as co-heads of the studio. The system will be reminiscent of DC Studios, where James Gunn is in charge of creative decisions and Peter Safran is in charge of money.

Filoni previously held the post of creative director at Lucasfilm, so his responsibilities will not change much. At the same time, Brennan will continue to serve as CEO of Lucasfilm Business.

Kennedy's departure is expected to be announced in the next few weeks. Representatives from Disney and Lucasfilm did not comment on the information.

Star Wars: Starfighter features lightsaber combat and Tom Cruise was on set

Star Wars: Starfighter director Shawn Levy has confirmed a surprise lightsaber duel scene.

In honor of the 50th anniversary ofStar Wars, a restored version ofA New Hopewill be released in theaters, as well asStarfighter, the first film to take place after the sequel trilogy. The film features a star-studded cast including Ryan Gosling, Matt Smith, Mia Goth and Amy Adams.

In an interview with the New York Times, the director said that his film has a surprise lightsaber duel - and that Tom Cruise participated in it. According to Levy, during filming he was constantly visited by top Hollywood stars.

"Steven Spielberg was here last week, and now Cruise was on set," Levy said. The actor arrived on the set by helicopter. The team was preparing for a lightsaber duel in the water.

Now, when you watch the film, you will know that Tom was on the set at that time. Isn't that cool?

Fan version of Star Wars turned into a full-fledged anime film with a Japanese pop song in the credits

Fans have been creating anime and Star Wars mash-ups for years. And some of them turn out just great. They are so good that Lucasfilm released a full-fledged anime, Star Wars: Visions, which is already preparing for the release of its second season. But that doesn't stop fans from still creating their own Star Wars anime mashups. Via Comic BookOpens In A New Tab, we learned about one fan montage from TikTok user @random_rogue26 that uses clips from the animated series Galaxy of Adventures. They edited them together with a song by Japanese pop group Sunrise Skater Kids, giving the video a classic anime theme. You can watch it below:

The 2018 series of animated shorts Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures wouldn't exactly be called "anime," but they clearly took inspiration from it. He took iconic moments from all three Star Wars trilogies and gave them a hyper-kinetic look.

Horror Star Wars

A horror show based on Star Wars is reportedly in development.