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It sounds like this Star Wars icon really is done with the franchise.
It’s hard to imagine Star Wars without Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), but the franchise has already gone a long time without him.
After playing the hero in Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977), Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983), it would be a long time before we ever saw Mark Hamill’s iconic Jedi return to the faraway galaxy (Luke himself, however, would return in the now-defunct “Star Wars: Legends“).
Credit: Lucasfilm
On the screen, Luke appeared as a new-born baby in the prequel trilogy’s Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith (2005), but after Return of the Jedi, it would be a long 32 years before Hamill picked up his lightsaber again, bypassing the likes of long-running animated shows Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) and Star Wars: Rebels (2014).
Finally, in 2015, Star Wars icon Hamill reprised his role as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens (2015), appearing in the final scene opposite Rey (Daisy Ridley). He then took center stage alongside Ridley in Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi (2017), and returned briefly in Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
Credit: Lucasfilm
But while fans are expecting the actor to reprise his role as Luke in the form of a Force Ghost in the upcoming sequel-era film, which will see Daisy Ridley back as Rey Skywalker, this time trying to rebuild the Jedi Order, in 2023, Hamill seemed to confirm the worst.
He told The Hollywood Reporter that he doesn’t “have any expectations of that happening”, which echoed remarks made by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, who had previously told IGN that Luke Skywalker’s future in Star Wars is “uncertain”.
Credit: Lucasfilm
Related: ‘Star Wars’ May Finally Be Done With Its Legacy Actors, as Another Seemingly Exits Franchise
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning in June 2023, the Star Wars icon seemed to double down on his exit, explaining to host Tracy Smith that while he was grateful for all the joy Luke Skywalker has brought to fans, his time in Star Wars might be at an end:
“I mean, the truth of the matter is, I never really expected to be remembered for anything,” he 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!”
Credit: Lucasfilm
Related: ‘Star Wars’ Finally Kills off Luke Skywalker Forever
Fans hoping he might reprise his role on the small screen may also be disappointed. Though Hamill appears as a de-aged Luke in The Mandalorian (2019) Season 2 and The Book of Boba Fett (2021), Hamill went on to say that Star Wars simply doesn’t need the character anymore:
“I just don’t see any reason to [return],” he said. “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.”
But while Hamill may be done with Star Wars, there’s every chance Luke Skywalker could return in some shape or form, with another actor taking up the mantle in live action. The character could also be given a proper role in animation one day. So far, Luke has only appeared in Star Wars: Forces of Destiny (2017).
Are you a Luke Skywalker fan? Do you think he could be portrayed by another actor? Let us know in the comments down below!
Their are other jedi.
Let the character of Luke Skywalker be played by someone who WANTS to play the role! Clearly Hamill is a 2 bit player who really never cared for the role very much…Star Wars fans don’t understand that very much. Hamill, Fisher and Ford were done after 3 movies. Fans were not. Greed drove a lot of what came next.