Although there've been lots of Star Wars TV shows in the past half-decade, it's been six years since fans got something on a big screen: The Rise of Skywalker was the last Star Wars movie, officially bringing to an end the "sequel trilogy."
Those movies saw the return of all three main actors from the original films: Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Harrison Ford as Han Solo, and Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia. By the end, all these characters were dead. Of the actors, Carrie Fisher passed on in 2016 and it's hard to imagine the famously grumpy Ford coming back. Now, talking to ComicBook.com, Hamill also sounds like he's ready to leave the franchise behind for good.
“I am so grateful to George [Lucas] for letting me be a part of that back in the day, the humble days when George called Star Wars 'the most expensive low-budget movie ever made,'” Hamill said. “We never expected it to become a permanent franchise and a part of pop culture like that. But my deal is, I had my time. I’m appreciative of that, but I really think they should focus on the future and all the new characters.”
"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. I'm just letting you know that right now."
I'm sure the Star Wars producers could find a way to bring back Luke Skywalker that didn't involve him being nude, but point taken.
Hamill did actually show up as Luke one more time after The Rise of Skywalker: he appeared in the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian as a de-aged look, mixed with a younger body double. Luke showed up again in The Book of Boba Fett, although in that case Hamill wasn't part of the process at all. That raises the unsettling possibility that Disney could feature Luke in a movie or TV show whether Hamill wants to return or not.
But will they? Disney is making attempts to move beyond the "Skywalker saga" with mixed success. The Mandalorian is their biggest post-Rise of Skywalker success, but Luke did show up in that show, so I don't know if it completely qualifies as focusing "on the future and all the new characters.” The second season of Star Wars: Andor recently wrapped up; fans loved that, with some calling it the best Star Wars has had to offer since the original trilogy. But it's over; it reportedly cost $650 million to make, an expenditure only possible at a very specific time in the history of the streaming wars. I can't see Disney spending that much on an original project like Andor again anytime soon.
Meanwhile, series like Ahsoka continue while shows like The Acolyte have been cancelled. And we've heard about Disney working on a new movie all about Rey (Daisy Ridley), one of the lead characters of the sequel trilogy. So Disney is making attempts, but I think we have to wait and see whether the franchise can really stand on its own two feet completely independent of Luke, Leia, Han and the rest of the OG characters.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.