Mark Hamill Explains Why His Time As Luke Skywalker On ‘Star Wars’ Is Officially Over

Published on May 12, 2020.

Mark Hamill feels its time to hang up his Jedi robe for good.

The actor introduced the world to the complex Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga’s 1997 debut created by George Lucas, which turned Hamill from a soap opera actor into a superstar. Hamill spoke to Entertainment Weekly recently about why he is saying goodbye to his character for good, but remains excited bout the future of the Star Wars franchise.

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“Oh, I can’t imagine that, no,” Hamill tells the outlet about whether or not he’d consider reprising his role in the Star Wars universe again if the situation was right. “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.”

While the actor may have said his final farewell to his character Luke and his adventures, he is still watching. Hamill explained why the franchise’s evolution with the Disney+ series The Mandalorian was a smart idea.

“I think they have a wonderful advantage on The Mandalorian in that it’s economical storytelling. They don’t have the burden of delivering a gigantic special effects extravaganza like the films had to do,” Hamill explained. “It sort of gets back to the basics of George envisioning it as a western in space. 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.”

As for what’s next for Hamill, the actor will guest-star in FX’s What We Do in the Shadows as an ancient vampire set to air this Wednesday, May 13.