Carrie Fisher, famous for her role in the Star Wars saga, passed away on December 27, 2016. On the fourth anniversary of her passing, Mark Hamill paid her a tribute through multiple tweets. The Star Wars icon posted a video of his 2017 homage to the actress and admitted during the panel the one promise he made to Fisher but couldn’t fulfill.
During the 2017 tribute, Hamill also told the crowd about an incident when he tried to prank Carrie Fisher during their initial meeting. However, the actress’ laughter made his prank ineffective.
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That One Promise Mark Hamill Could Not Keep
During the 52-minute video, Mark Hamill recalled several instances about Fisher’s life. One instance involves a conversation between the two actors about a scene where Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer eavesdrop on their own funeral.
Hamill said (via YouTube):
“That’s when Carrie looked at me and said, ‘I promise you, If you go first, I’ll heckle your funeral.’ That’s quintessential, Carrie. It’s so irreverent. It’s so funny the concept of someone heckling your funeral.”
She then asked him if he would heckle her funeral in case she passed away before him. “‘You got it, babe,'” Hamill recalls telling Fisher. “That’s one promise I won’t keep.”
While the actor continuously cracked jokes and made the audience laugh during Carrie Fisher’s tribute, he also brought tears to the eyes of many fans when he wished that he did not have to deliver the panel for at least three more decades.
George Lucas Had Alternate Plans For Mark Hamill’s Character
In the Star Wars franchise, Return of the Jedi has one of the most heartfelt endings. The reunion of the main character and the win over the dark side made for an appealing finale for the audience. However, George Lucas reportedly had darker plans for the movie. He planned a more grim conclusion where Mark Hamill’s character, Luke Skywalker, would eventually become the new Darth Vader.
George Lucas’s initial draft of the script suggested the film would end in a more sinister and gloomier tone. According to J.W. Rinzler’s behind-the-scenes account, The Making of Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi (via ComicBookMovie), the ending could have altered the course of the entire franchise.
“Luke takes his mask off. The mask is the very last thing—and then Luke puts it on and says, ‘Now I am Vader.’ Surprise! The ultimate twist. ‘Now I will go and kill the [Rebel] fleet and I will rule the universe.'”
Lucas suggested a dark ending to co-writer Lawrence Kasdan, suggesting how Mark Hamill’s character will emerge as the new Darth Vader. Well, thankfully, they did not opt for that arc and went ahead with the Star Wars storyline we know.
