Disney and Lucasfilm Will Recast Luke Skywalker

There was a time when you couldn’t think of Star Wars without thinking of Mark Hamill. But these days, it’s getting harder and harder to argue that Hamill still “is” Luke Skywalker.

He hasn’t played the character on screen in a traditional way since 2017’s Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi. And while his likeness returned in The Mandalorian Season 2 and The Book of Boba Fett (2021), those performances were created from body doubles, de-aging, and synthetic voice technology (Mark Hamill was involved, but not fully).

It’s fair to say that Luke has outgrown his original actor—and fans need to start preparing for the day he’s recast in live action.

But recasting has long become normal in Star Wars. Alec Guinness passed the lightsaber to Ewan McGregor in the prequel trilogy, which also saw Hayden Christensen become the face of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Even Chewbacca and Lando have had new actors fill their roles in later films. And just this year, Andor Season 2 replaced Jimmy Smits as Bail Organa.

There’s no doubt whatsoever that, one day, Luke Skywalker will be recast.

This may sting fans who grew up with the original trilogy, but there are too many stories left to tell. With projects like The Mandalorian & Grogu (2026), Daisy Ridley’s return in the untitled Rey film, and Star Wars: Starfighter with Ryan Gosling all on the slate, the need for a younger, original trilogy-era Luke will only grow.

Related: Rachel Zegler a Favorite To Play Princess Leia in Future ‘Star Wars’ Film

To be clear, though, Hamill’s Star Wars legacy is secure. No one’s replacing what he built. But much like Batman, James Bond, and even Spider-Man, iconic characters reach a point where they transcend the actors who played them, no matter how synonymous they’ve become with those roles.

Would you be happy to see a new actor take on the iconic role of Luke Skywalker? Let us know in the comments down below!