A long time ago… 1977, to be precise, the firstStar Warsfilm (which would later be subtitledA New Hope) was released in theaters. It was a ground-breaking success and led to the creation of two sequels,The Empire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedi, forming the original trilogy. The franchise then evolved into a trilogy of trilogies, featuring both prequels and sequels telling the story of the Skywalker family. Luke Skywalker was an integral part of the saga, but the actor behind the character,Mark Hamill, has noted how the films changed over time.
During a recent appearance on TODAY, Hamill revealed the one golden rule that the originalStar Warstrilogy had that the sequels didn’t. He recalled a candid conversation that he once had with George Lucas aboutReturn of the Jediand Luke Skywalker’s arc, explaining that he wanted to tap into the dark side more, but the visionary filmmaker had to remind him of the target audience. Hamill, who has been vocal about the direction of the franchise, particularlywhen it comes to the sequel trilogy, admitted that this was overlooked in the later films:
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“When I would complain about things – in the third one, I said, ‘Luke has lost his hand, he’s got the black glove, shouldn’t it be about Luke struggling with turning to the dark side?’ George said, ‘Mark, it’s for children.’ And that’s why he would never consider killing any of the main characters. In the new ones, they pop us off one at a time.”
Hamill is seemingly referring to the onscreen deaths of Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and Luke Skywalker (himself) inThe Force Awakens,The Rise of Skywalker, andThe Last Jedi, respectively, years after the original trilogy. Luke’s death was not the last we saw of the character, as he showed up as a Force ghost in the third and final film of the sequel trilogy. A de-aged version of the character also made an appearance inThe Mandalorian, but the actor has since revealed that he hasno plans to reprise the roleagain.
Mark Hamill Has Ruled Out a Luke Skywalker Return
Lucasfilm has severalStar Warsprojects in development, and seems to be pivoting back to theatrical releases after a period of focusing on streaming content. A big priority for the company is bringingThe Mandalorian & Groguto the big screen. The film, directed by Jon Favreau and co-written by Favreau and Dave Filoni, is set to be released on June 10, 2025, ushering in a new slate of films, including projects helmed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold, Taika Waititi, Simon Kinberg, and Filoni, who is also working onAhsokaSeason 2.
Those hoping for an appearance from Hamill in the roster of projects Lucasfilm has plannedshouldn’t hold their breath as the actor has definitively ruled out a return toStar Wars.He said that it is time to let go, and while he’s thankful for the opportunity to play such an iconic character, the franchise should now “focus on the future and all the new characters.” The next theatrical film to go into production will beShawn Levy’sStar Wars: Starfighter,which takes place approximately five years afterThe Rise of Skywalkerwith Ryan Gosling in the lead role.
Source:TODAY
