With the latest film, ‘The Rise of Skywalker,’ closing the book on George Lucas’ original “Star Wars” saga, it seems appropriate for actor Mark Hamill to use this time as a chance to step away from the franchise once and for all. And that’s exactly what the actor has in mind, as he revealed in a new interview with EW.
As for whether or not the legendary “Star Wars” actor sees a time when he’ll be willing to revisit the galaxy far, far away, his answer is simple.
“Oh, I can’t imagine that, no,” Hamill said. “I had a beginning, middle, and end. Those films gave me far more than I ever expected when we started out so it’s never even occurred to me. My farewell was in ‘Episode IX’ and it was bittersweet. I love all those people and I certainly have affection for George and the character he created. I’m full of gratitude for what it has given me and my career but I don’t want to be greedy. There are still so many more stories to tell and so many great actors to tell them, they don’t need me.”
Of course, that admission doesn’t mean that Hamill will stop being a fan of “Star Wars.” In fact, though his time as a Jedi has come to an end, the actor still thinks that Lucasfilm is pumping out great content, specifically with the Disney+ series, “The Mandalorian.” He says the new series has the benefit of not feeling like it has to up the ante regarding spectacle with each episode, which makes the series harken back to Lucas’ original vision.
“[‘The Mandalorian’] sort of gets back to the basics of George envisioning it as a western in space,” said the actor. “It has that tone of a Sergio Leone Western. I’m very impressed with it and to me, a very smart move on their part because you can’t keep trying to top…It’s like the superhero movies that have to deliver these gargantuan epics. And with ‘The Mandalorian,’ they can concentrate more on the characters and the storytelling. I think it’s excellent.”
While Hamill really seems sincere in his decision to forever walk away from “Star Wars,” as a fan and a realist, it’s hard for me to completely believe this is the end of the road for Luke Skywalker. With Lucasfilm adding more well-known characters to “The Mandalorian” Season 2, plus the fact that multiple new Disney+ series are going back to the Skywalker Saga (“Cassian Andor” and “Obi-Wan”), there seems to be plenty of opportunity for Luke to maybe show up at some point. Obviously, in the prequel series, it would require some interesting storytelling conveniences and tricks, but anything’s possible. Plus, let’s be honest, if in 10 years, “Star Wars” needs a kick in the pants to get fans back on board, Hamill will be at the top of the list for Lucasfilm to call.