Mark Hamill rules out ‘Star Wars’ return as Luke Skywalker
Mark Hamill has officially ruled out a return to the Star Wars universe.
During an interview with Comic Book, Hamill said: “I am so grateful to George 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 continued: “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 think they should focus on the future and all the new characters.”
Hamill also gave a practical reason why he couldn’t return to the universe, even if he wanted to. His last appearance was as a force ghost in the 2019 sequel trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker. In a 2017 scene in The Last Jedi, he recounts, “I disappeared. I left my robes behind. And there’s no way I’m gonna appear as a naked force ghost.”
Hamill confessed in 2024 that he felt the “heart was gone” from the Star Wars franchise. He reflected on the untimely passing of his co-star Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia, at the age of 60 from a sudden cardiac arrest in 2016. “It forever altered how I reacted to ‘Star Wars’ in general. The heart was gone. I don’t talk about it because I don’t like reliving it,” he said.
He did, however, reveal what his favourite Star Wars movie is. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the beloved actor admitted that he’s got a soft spot for one particular movie: “It’s like, pick your favourite child,” he said. “You like them all for different reasons. I guess I’d have to go with Empire, only because it was so unexpected to have the protagonist be so soundly defeated.”
The last Star Wars feature was released in 2019, though the franchise recently announced a 2027 prequel set roughly half a decade after Star Wars: Episode IX—The Rise of Skywalker. Shawn Levy will sit in the director’s seat for the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter offering. Ryan Gosling will play the lead.
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