In a couple of recent interviews, Mark Hamill said that he is done playing Luke Skywalker, a revelation that unsurprisingly left many fans feeling sad and disappointed. But after his latest Star Wars deep-dive with The Wrap, many fans may now feel that this is a good thing.

Hamill made some perfectly good points about not needing to return to the faraway galaxy. He said that not only are Disney and Lucasfilm committed to focusing on new characters like Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Din Djarin/The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal), but also reminded us that Luke was killed off at the end of Star Wars: Episode VIII—The Last Jedi (2017).

While Star Wars frequently jumps along its timeline, meaning it can reintroduce Luke at any point in his life, that doesn’t change the fact that Hamill is done playing the character.

Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) wielding a blue lightsaber in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'
Credit: Lucasfilm

“I had my time. I’m appreciative of that, but I really think they should focus on the future and all the new characters,” Hamill told ComicBook.com in May, before jokingly adding, “And by the way, when I disappeared in [The Last Jedi], I left my robes behind. And there’s no way I’m gonna appear as a naked Force ghost.”

He further clarified his position in a Sunday Sitdown interview with Willie Geist (via TODAY) in June, explaining that Disney and Lucasfilm had not asked him to return, saying, “Well, let me say: they haven’t asked me. It’s not like they said, ‘Please come back.’”

He continued, “I don’t want to make a big PR pronouncement like ‘This is my decision.’ I’m just saying that it really felt like a conclusion. My character was given complete closure. I died, ironically by overdosing on the Force, I might point out.”

Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) looking at the Force Ghosts at the end of 'Return of the Jedi'
Credit: Lucasfilm

Related: ‘Star Wars’ Reveals the Reprehensible Reason Vader Cut Off Luke’s Hand

However, just because Hamill is unlikely to play Luke Skywalker again, that doesn’t mean the character himself is gone for good.

But now, many fans may feel it’s time for the actor to step back from playing the iconic Jedi Knight anyway, especially based on his comments during an interview with The Wrap.

It’s widely known that Hamill’s ideas for Luke clashed with The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson’s vision. The 2017 film remains the most divisive theatrical entry in the franchise to date, with much of the criticism centering on Luke, who, after over 30 years, has essentially become a deadbeat Jedi, resigned to exile after his nephew, Ben Solo, became the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) under his tutelage while training padawans for his New Jedi Order.

But while it seems that Hamill had little to no creative control over Luke in the film, that didn’t stop Johnson from letting Hamill create his own backstory at the time to help him better understand the motivation for the Jedi’s actions in the 2017 sequel.

“I said, ‘Can I make up my own backstory of why he is the way he is? I don’t want to just say, you know, that I have bumped and I have brain damage,’” Hamill said of a conversation with Johnson at the time. “He [Johnson] said, ‘Yeah, do whatever you want.’ So I made up a much, much darker backstory that I thought could justify him being that way.”

Rey and Luke Skywalker on Ahch-To in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'
Credit: Lucasfilm

But the backstory in question might leave you shocked. Here’s what Hamill said about what helped him accept Luke’s motivations and actions in The Last Jedi:

“I thought, ‘What could make someone give up a devotion to what is basically a religious entity, to give up being a Jedi?’ So he [Luke Skywalker] falls in love with a woman, he gives up being a Jedi, they have a child together. At some point, the child, as a toddler, picks up an unattended lightsaber, pushes the button, and is killed instantly. The wife is so full of grief, she kills herself.”

Hamill went on to explain that he took inspiration from the many tragic stories of children picking up unattended firearms in the U.S. “That resonated with me so deeply,” the actor said. “But he [Johnson] didn’t have the time to tell a backstory like that, I’m guessing.”

Unsurprisingly, many Star Wars fans are not happy with Hamill’s comments. On X (Twitter), some have turned to the dark side to make their feelings on the actor clear:

“Mark Hamill’s “head canon” reason for why Luke Skywalker became a lame b*tch is Star Wars “muh gun violence” Lol Lmao even. Mark is a colossally unserious person”

One fan sarcastically quips, “Mark Hamill, you are the funniest man ever”:

Another says that Hamill’s politics has ruined Star Wars for them:

Some fans, however, go straight for the jugular.

One calls Mark Hamill “insane” and an “idiot”. Another comments directly on Hamill’s backstory, saying, “a master Jedi that leaves a lightsaber unattended around a child? What a dumb f**k.” Comments along these lines continue, with some suggesting that this backstory would have made The Last Jedi even worse.

However, what fans don’t seem to realize is that this was simply a method Hamill used in bringing Luke Skywalker to life after over 30 years — in particular, a version of the character he struggled to align with.

What do you think about this backstory for Luke Skywalker? Would it have worked for you or do you think it’s far too dark for Star Wars? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

The post Beloved ‘Star Wars’ Actor’ Sparks Fan Backlash After Latest Comments About Luke Skywalker appeared first on Inside the Magic.

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