Mark Hamill Says “I Had My Time” Playing Luke Skywalker, ‘Star Wars’ Should “Focus on the Future”

While it is not completely clear how the future of the Skywalker saga will be handled in upcoming films, whether or not those potential films will include Luke Skywalker seems to be resolved. Speaking with ComicBook.com while promoting his new film The Life of Chuck, Mark Hamill said that it is time to move on from the legacy characters first introduced in the original trilogy and later returning in the sequel trilogy.

 

Hamill first appeared as Luke in 1977’s Star Wars, later titled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope as well as its first two sequels. He returned in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens as well as that film’s two sequels. He’s also been involved on the Disney Plus side of things, assisting with the motion capture in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, and later voicing Luke in LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy.

 

Hamill says he is forever grateful for his role in Star Wars, but that it is time to move on:

 

“I am so grateful to George [Lucas] for letting me be a part of that back in the day, the humble days when George called Star Wars ‘the most expensive low-budget movie ever made.’ We never expected it to become a permanent franchise and a part of pop culture like that. But my deal is, I had my time. I’m appreciative of that, but I really think they should focus on the future and all the new characters.”

 

Maintaining a sense of humor regarding his character, he continued:

 

“And by the way, when I disappeared in [The Last Jedi], I left my robes behind. And there’s no way I’m gonna appear as a naked Force ghost.”

 

 

His character was a major focus of Star Wars: The Last Jedi when he reluctantly began training Rey in the ways of the Force. He later used the Force to transport an avatar of himself to delay an attack by the First Order, allowing the Resistance to escape certain death. The exhaustive act proved to be fatal, with Luke’s robes falling to the ground as his body transformed into the Force. He appeared as a Force ghost in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, encouraging Rey to fight Emperor Palpatine.

 

The Last Jedi would go on to become maybe the most controversial Star Wars film of them all. Some praised the film, calling it a new and bold direction for the then 40-year-old franchise. Others were less impressed, many disliking Luke having turned into a recluse and seemingly disavowing the Jedi ways. A challenge for all of the sequel films was balancing storylines involving both legacy and new characters.

 

 

Disney has stated on several occasions, most recently in April at Star Wars Celebration, that a new film featuring Rey (who adopted the Skywalker name at the end of Rise of Skywalker) is to be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. The film, referenced as New Jedi Order, takes place 15 years after Rise and involves Rey training a new generation of Jedi Knights.

 

Luke appearing as a Force ghost in such a film seemed like a given prior to Hamill’s comments. But perhaps it is time that the franchise focuses entirely on new characters with storylines that continue in the Star Wars tradition, but are carried out by new faces. Actors age and younger fans are more familiar with Rey and the characters introduced in the sequel trilogy. Mark Hamill saying it is time to move on seemingly closes the chapter on the legacy characters.