After decades of swinging lightsabers, Mark Hamill is finally calling it a day as Star Wars‘ Luke Skywalker. The 73-year-old actor has officially hung up his Jedi robes, and, according to him, he’s not coming back.
Speaking to ComicBook.com, Hamill confirmed what many suspected: he’s done with Star Wars sequels. “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,’” he said. “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.”
That’s fair enough. But it wouldn’t be like Hamill to leave without cracking one last joke: “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.”
Still, just because Hamill’s done doesn’t mean Luke Skywalker is gone for good. If Disney is smart, they will realise they already have the perfect new Luke Skywalker: Sebastian Stan.
The Thunderbolts* actor looks suspiciously like a young Mark Hamill. This isn’t fan fiction. Hamill himself has joked about it for years, including in a cheeky tweet: “Sorry to disappoint you but I refuse to say ‘Sebastian Stan—I AM YOUR FATHER!’ (even though, in fact, I am).”
Fans have been begging for this casting for years now. And, back in 2017, Stan told a Comic-Con audience he’d be down to play Luke if Hamill gave the green light. Hamill saw it. Approved it. And, yes, the Internet exploded.
But this isn’t just about the two looking alike either. In 2022, scooper Daniel Richtman reported that Lucasfilm, with Hamill’s blessing, was ready to give Stan a proper shot as a younger Luke. If that’s true, it could finally explore the mysterious post-Return of the Jedi years. We could see Luke training Ben Solo, his disillusionment with the Jedi Order, and why he ended up milking sea cows on Ahch-To.
The truth is, Luke Skywalker was done dirty in the sequel trilogy. Even Hamill didn’t love the direction they took. His surprise cameo in The Mandalorian season two finale, complete with de-aged face and a lightsaber ballet, reignited interest in the character like it was 1977 again. So, fans definitely want more. Disney gave the fans Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka. Why not give them Sebastian Stan as Luke?
Mark Hamill’s time with Star Wars might be done, but Luke Skywalker’s story isn’t. It might be time for Sebastian Stan to step in. It’s time for a new hope.
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