Mark Hamill, the actor who brought Luke Skywalker to life in the original Star Wars trilogy and later reprised the role in sequels and spin-offs, has announced that he is done with the iconic character and the franchise. In a recent interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Hamill said that he has no intention of playing Luke again, as he believes the franchise has many other stories to tell and does not need him anymore.
“Well, you never say never, but I just don’t see any reason to,” Hamill said about returning as Luke. “Let me put it that way: I mean, they have so many stories to tell, they don’t need Luke anymore. I had my time, and that’s good. But that’s enough.”
Hamill made his debut as Luke in 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope, and went on to star in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He returned to the role decades later in 2015’s The Force Awakens, 2017’s The Last Jedi, and 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. He also appeared as a younger Luke via motion capture and de-aging visual effects in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.
Hamill said that he was satisfied with his time as Luke and that he found it strange to see his face de-aged with technology. He also suggested that if Lucasfilm wanted to tell more stories about Luke, they could hire an age-appropriate actor.
“When I read ‘The Last Jedi’s’ script, I said, ‘Ok, well, that’s it for me,’” Hamill told Esquire magazine. “And you start that process of disengaging from something that’s been a part of your life.”
“People say, ‘Oh, now you’re going to be able to do a whole series of Luke post-‘Return of the Jedi.’ I said, ‘I don’t think so,’” Hamill added. “First of all, they don’t need to tell those stories, but if they do, they could get an age-appropriate actor.”
Hamill’s announcement comes as Lucasfilm is developing new Star Wars films and TV shows that will explore different eras and characters in the galaxy far, far away. One of the upcoming films will feature Daisy Ridley returning as Rey, the protagonist of the sequel trilogy. The film will be set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker and will tell the story of rebuilding the New Jedi Order and the powers that rise to tear it down. It will be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and written by Steven Knight.
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said that Rey will rebuild the Jedi Order and train a group of fresh recruits in the film. She also said that Lucasfilm recently hired Knight to replace Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson as writers on the project.
Even if Hamill’s tenure as Luke is over, he will forever be remembered as one of the most beloved heroes in Star Wars history. He said that he is happy to see how much Luke has meant to fans and that he never expected to be remembered for anything.
“I mean, the truth of the matter is, I never really expected to be remembered for anything,” Hamill said. “I just wanted to make a living doing what I liked. And I thought, ‘Well, it could be worse. I could be, like, known as being the best actor who ever played Adolf Hitler, you know?’ At least Luke is an admirable fellow!”
Relevant articles:
– Mark Hamill Says ‘Star Wars’ Doesn’t Need Luke Skywalker Anymore: ‘I Just Don’t See Any Reason’ to Play Him Again, Variety, June 5, 2023
– Mark Hamill Hints at Retirement from ‘Star Wars’ Franchise, Yahoo! News, June 5, 2023
– Mark Hamill mulls ‘Star Wars’ retirement: ‘They don’t need Luke’, Yahoo! News, June 5, 2023
– Mark Hamill Is Done With ‘Star Wars’ Character Luke Skywalker: ‘That’s Enough’, The Blast, June 5, 2023