Mark Hamill has had quite the career, as he’s been in Broadway shows, voiced some of the most iconic characters of all time, and been in dozens of movies. However, the legendary actor will probably always be best known for playing the hero of the original Star Wars trilogy, Luke Skywalker. The actor returned to the role for the sequel trilogy and did work on some of the TV shows as well. However, when asked if he would ever jump back into to the iconic franchise again for one of Disney’s planned Star Wars spin-offs, he didn’t seem keen on the notion. In fact, he says "they don't need Luke anymore."
The beloved star recently sat down with CBS Sunday Morning to talk about his career and what it's like to be cemented in cinematic history as one of the most iconic movie characters. The actor reflected on the role fondly and had good things to say about his experience working on the films. However, there's a key reason why he believes the producers don't need his character at this point. He explained:
Well, you never say never. I just don't see any reason to. Let me put it that way: I mean, they have so many stories to tell, they don't need Luke anymore.
He’s right, Disney does have many stories to tell. There are more than a few upcoming projects planned for the Star Wars Universe including the TV shows The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew. And of course, there's also the exciting movie plans, which features a movie starring Daisy Ridley's Rey. While the Skywalker Saga may have come to a close, Disney is clearly not done with the titular family, so I don’t think Lucasfilm is necessarily finished with Luke. There are so many ways he could come back, as he could be a Force Ghost or show up in a flashback.
In fact, Luke has returned to the Star Wars consciousness since the character's death in The Last Jedi and brief return in The Rise of Skywalker. He appeared on The Mandalorian, recreated with a combination of digital and practical methods. Mark Hamill helped with the process on set and was even more involved with this digital version of the character when he showed up in The Book of Boba Fett. Though this approach works, Hamill isn't opposed to the hero being recast with a younger actor. Given his recent statements, that may be the best course of action that can be taken now. But then again, he did mention that he'd “never say never."
While there may not currently be any plans to bring back Luke Skywalker, the Emmy winner has still been plenty busy with other projects outside of the galaxy far, far away. He's a prolific voice actor, with several animated projects under his belt and many more to come. He's also set to star in the adaptation of Stephen King’s The Life of Chuck, alongside Tom Hiddleston. In addition, he is part of the cast for The Fall of the House of Usher, a miniseries hitting Netflix later this year. So he'll be popping up on screens both big and small in the near future, though I'm sure fans will continue to hold out hope for Luke's return.
You can catch Mark Hamill’s latest film, The Machine, which is currently playing in theaters nationwide. Fans can also revisit his legendary performance in the original Star Wars films, which are all available to stream now with a Disney+ subscription.
