If, upon watchingStar Wars: The Last Jedi, you found yourself thinking, “That’s not my Luke Skywalker,” you’re in good company.Mark Hamillhimself has said exactly that, as revealed in a new video interview. Hamill’s opinion of the character should rank second only to creatorGeorge Lucasin terms of what makes Master Skywalker tick, having embodied and lived with the character for 40 years. But as progress marches forward in theStar Warsuniverse (and franchise), Disney’s now in charge of what their rightly owned characters do and say, with directorRian Johnsoncaught in the middle.
YouTuber JarJarAbramsposted a new video with Hamill talking about the “fundamental difference” of opinion for the handling of Luke Skywalker inThe Last Jedi, but it’s something the veteran actor has been talking about openly for months. In April, onABC’s Nightline, he said he “fundamentally disagreed with virtually everything” Johnson had drawn up for his character, an extension ofHamill’s disappointment with having his own ideas turned asideforJ.J. Abrams’Star Wars: The Force Awakens. This is nothing new, but now that we’re on the other side of the release ofThe Last Jedi, we have a bit more context.
Watch Hamill explain the difference of opinion he had with Johnson regarding Luke Skywalker:
Here’s the transcript of Hamill’s quotes:
“I said to Rian, ‘Jedis don’t give up.’ I mean, even if [Luke] had a problem, he would maybe take a year to try and regroup, but if he made a mistake, he would try and right that wrong, so right there, we had a fundamental difference.
But it’s not my story anymore, it’s somebody else’s story and Rian needed me to be a certain way to make the ending effective. That’s the crux of my problem. Luke would never say that. I’m sorry.”
“Well, in this version…see, I’m talking about the George Lucas Star Wars, this is the next generation of Star Wars. I almost had to think of Luke as another character. Maybe he’s ‘Jake Skywalker,’ he’s not my Luke Skywalker. But I had to do what Rian wanted me to do because it serves the story well. Listen, I still haven’t accepted it completely, but, it’s only a movie. I hope people like it. I hope they don’t get upset. I came to really believe that Rian was the exact man they needed for this job.”
I certainly side with Hamill on this one, as do a number of fans, but the honest truth remains: This is Disney’s show now. The Lucas version ofStar Warsremains pre-The Force Awakensand Disney’s version of the mythology picks up from there on out. I wrote about my problems with this fact ina recent editorial that’s almost as divisive as the film itself, but I think more and more people will begin to come around to the idea thatStar Warsas we know it is being reshaped by Disney, for better or worse. Luke Skywalker is but the latest casualty.
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