Between the late 70s and 80s, Mark Hamill became one of Hollywood’s most recognized faces thanks to his marquee gig in George Lucas’s cult space odyssey, Star Wars. Hamill who played Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy, gained a ton of fame and acclaim through his character.
More than three decades later, the Child’s Play actor reprised his iconic role in the Star Wars sequel trilogy which began with The Force Awakens, starring Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, and John Boyega among others. Hamill though, was jokingly but firmly critical of the background and history of Ridley’s character Rey, which mirrored the nuances of Luke Skywalker.
Mark Hamill Called Out Disney For Copying His Star Wars Character In The Sequels
The Star Wars sequel trilogy that began its journey with The Force Awakens in 2015, saw George Lucas’s narrative being developed further by J. J. Abrams, with Daisy Ridley’s Rey launching a search for Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker. This was also Hamill’s first appearance back in the franchise after more than 3 decades.
While the actor was eventually happy to reprise his role, he also pointed out a certain lack of originality in the character sketch of Rey. Speaking to Willow Bay (via YouTube), Hamill lightheartedly pointed out how Rey’s backstory exactly mirrored that of Luke Skywalker.
“Well, bravo for them to make Ray an orphan from the desert who discovers inner powers, inherits a robot with important information that leads to the destruction of the Death Star. It’s fresh because it’s a woman.”
This was the first trilogy to not extensively include the inputs of George Lucas after LucasFilm was acquired by Disney Studios. Hamill’s comment, albeit in a lighthearted roasting fashion, hinted at a possible criticism towards the studio for deviating from Lucas’s original vision.
Mark Hamill Will Not Return In The Next Star Wars Film
Mark Hamill reprised his famous role as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars sequel trilogy that commenced in 2015 with The Force Awakens. While the actor had only cameo appearances in the first two films, the death of his character in 2017’s The Last Jedi, was an emotional turning point for him.
In the 2023 Star Wars Celebration, LucasFilm announced more projects in the franchise that will focus on the character of Rey, set 15 years after the events of the sequel trilogy. Addressing the rumors about the possibility of Luke Skywalker appearing as a ghost in the film, Hamill summarily dismissed these speculations to The Hollywood Reporter and said,
“No. I don’t have any expectations of that happening. The whole thing was emotional, because when I read [Episode] VIII, I knew it was over.”
Though the actor accepted to be part of the sequel trilogy, Hamill has always maintained that he was never a strong advocate for developing the Star Wars narrative after LucasFilm was bought over by Disney Studios.
