While the Star Wars sequel trilogy had its moments of greatness, Disney's additions to the Skywalker Saga left many disappointed with how the 42-year story came to an end. Amongst the biggest complaints were those about Mark Hamill in his return as Luke Skywalker, which left some fans with a sour taste in their mouths as the franchise's original hero met his unfortunate end.
Even though the trilogy ushered in a new era of stars like Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron and John Boyega as Finn, Hamill was relatively disconnected from his Star Wars pals, only getting one scene with the late Carrie Fisher's Leia Organa.
Multiple cast members from the sequel trilogy have shared their disappointment with these missed opportunities, even though Luke has made his presence felt in a more meaningful way through Star Wars' efforts on Disney+. Now, Hamill himself has offered some new thoughts on the matter, lamenting that Luke didn't get one reunion that so many were hoping to see in the 21st century.
Mark Hamill Jokes About Sequel Trilogy
Star Wars actor Mark Hamill took to Twitter to share a political parody poster from Daily Caller, which had a picture of US President Joe Biden under a title card that read "Star Wars: The Rise of Brandon." This pokes fun at how conservatives have made the anti-Biden slogan "Let's go Brandon" popular in recent weeks.
While this was originally posted to be a shot in the ever-raging political turmoil in the USA, Hamill used it to joke about Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, noting that this movie could reunite him with Harrison Ford's Han Solo:
"Maybe in this one they'll let me have a scene with Harrison."
Additionally, Hamill spoke with Vanity Fair about what he would have done differently in the sequel trilogy, specifically by having him and Harrison Ford appear together on screen.
He looked back to the way Luke and Leia communicated telepathically in earlier movies, thinking that Leia "[would] sense that Han is in danger and try to contact [Luke]" to ask for his help. This would have led to the three all having the chance to be together on the big screen for the first time since 1983's Episode VI: Return of the Jedi:
“Now, remember, one of the plots in the earlier films was the telepathic communication between my sister and me,” Hamill said. “So I thought, Carrie will sense that Han is in danger and try to contact me. And she won’t succeed, and, in frustration, she’ll go herself. Then we’re in the situation where all three of us are together, which is one of my favorite things in the original film, when we were on the Death Star. It’s just got a fun dynamic to it."
This could have led to a moment where Luke saves Leia from death before they meet up with Han, who's already in battle with his son, Kylo Ren. Hamill imagined a better ending for Han with Luke and Leia both there to witness his death instead of only having Chewbacca there along with "two people who have known Han for, what, 20 minutes:"
"So I thought it would have been more effective, and I still feel this way, though it’s just my opinion, that Leia would make it as far as she can, and, right when she is apprehended, maybe even facing death—Ba-boom! I come in and blow the guy away and the two of us go to where Han is facing off with his son, but we’re too late. The reason that’s important is that we witness his death, which carries enormous personal resonance into the next picture. As it is, Chewie’s there, and how much can you get out of [passable Chewbacca wail] ‘Nyaaarghhh!’ and two people who have known Han for, what, 20 minutes?”
Even with things not going the way he would have wanted, he admitted to director J.J. Abrams that he had "never been more happy to be wrong" after seeing the positive response to that moment.
In late August, Finn actor John Boyega also spoke about Luke's arc in the sequel trilogy, wishing that there could have been more "passing of the torch" moments between the legacy actors and the new stars:
“And then to flesh out Luke’s character a bit more. Give him more moments of redemption, which I feel like was needed after VIII [The Last Jedi]. I feel like Star Wars fans needed more time with those characters that we love so much.”
Luke's Missed Opportunities in Sequel Trilogy
Episode VIII: The Last Jedi is still seen as arguably the most controversial project in Star Wars history, particularly due to the way many saw Luke's journey as a disappointment before his death. It appears that Hamill has thought long and hard about what he would have liked to have seen happen with the OG Jedi warrior, especially since he didn't get much of a chance to team up again with Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford outside of one scene with Fisher.
Director Rian Johnson has touched on Hamill's comments about what went wrong in Episode VIII, still feeling that he put forth a great effort with the middle movie in the sequel trilogy. Although Hamill was on board with making sure the new stars got their time in the spotlight with the trilogy, it's still a sore spot amongst fans that the original actors who built the franchise didn't get the send-off they may have deserved.
Johnson has been revisiting this divisive movie in recent weeks, revealing more of his thought process about what he did with Hamill, Fisher, and Ford in the 2017 sequel. And while Hamill seems to be willing to return to his iconic role should future stories call for it, this still remains a rough subject for him a few years after the fact.
Star Wars - Episode VIII: The Last Jedi is streaming on Disney+.
