Don’t expect Mark Hamill to return to the “Star Wars” universe anytime soon.
In a recent interview with ComicBook, Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the first three franchise-spawning “Star Wars” films, discussed his future in the immortal sci-fi universe. While he was the one to kick it off with “A New Hope” in 1977 alongside Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, Hamill has no interest in taking the saga any further.
“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 think they should focus on the future and all the new characters.”
He continued, joking that he “disappeared in [‘The Last Jedi’], I left my robes behind. And there’s no way I’m gonna appear as a naked force ghost.”
Hamill’s last major appearance as Luke Skywalker in “Star Wars” was as a force ghost in 2019’s “Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.” He also made brief appearances as Luke with de-aging and motion capture effects in “The Mandalorian” and “The Book of Boba Fett.”
“Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” went on to become one of the most iconic films in history after its 1977 release, inspiring an endless march of spinoff series and follow-up films. As of today, there have been 12 total films, including the original trilogy, and countless TV shows set in the “Star Wars” universe.
The next films to take place in a galaxy far, far away will be “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” starring Pedro Pascal as the masked drifter with baby Yoda, and “Star Wars: Starfighter,” starring Ryan Gosling.