LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: One of the most iconic characters, Luke Skywalker, of the beloved ‘Star Wars’ franchise will no longer be played by Mark Hamill. The 71-year-old actor opened up about not being a part of the space fantasy series in a recent interview with Tracy Smith from CBS Sunday Morning.
Between anecdotes from the sets of the franchise, Hamill reflected on his time in the industry while finally sharing that he “doesn’t see the need to return” as Luke Skywalker. The actor said, “You know, I had my time, and that’s good. But that’s enough.”
'They don't need Luke anymore'
A powerful Jedi, Luke Skywalker is one of the most central characters of the original trilogy and continues to be crucial to its fantastical world. Hamill first joined the franchise back in 1977 with the first movie ‘Star Wars’ alongside Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia and Harrison Ford as Han Solo.
Hamill shared how he struggled with playing the character at first since he was just 25 years old and how they were not given a whole script. The actor had to take the assistance of his fellow cast members, including Ford and Alec Guinness who played Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The character of Luke, with the immense popularity of the franchise, inevitably became loved by all the fans and Hamill became known for playing him. But the actor wanted to experiment with more diverse characters and eventually joined Broadway. While he still respects and loves what ‘Star Wars’ did for him, Hamill doesn’t think the series needs more of Luke saying, “I don’t see a reason (as to why).”
Has Hamill officially stepped down?
Despite his apprehension about playing Luke, Hamill doesn’t clearly dismiss the role but rather the relevance of his character. Smith says to the actor “...Even though you say you won’t go back, there’s always a chance that you could go back,” and reminds him that he will always be remembered as Luke. Hamill just responds with, “They have so many stories to tell. They don’t need Luke anymore.”
So, while Hamill wouldn’t want Luke to make another one of his legendary returns to the series, he doesn’t seem to be completely averse to doing so. The interview was part of the promotion for his latest film ‘The Machine’, directed by Peter Atencio. The action-comedy was released last week.
‘The Machine’ is now screening in theaters.
