Mark Hamill has set the record straight on his true feelings about Luke Skywalker's dark turn in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Up to this day, fans have been debating Rian Johnson's creative choice on the fan-favorite character in the second sequel trilogy installment. The actor has previously mentioned that he had issues with his character's recluse lifestyle.
What Does Mark Hamill Really Think About Luke Skywalker's Dark Turn in The Last Jedi?
In a recent interview on Jesse Thorn's Bullseye podcast (via EW), Hamill addressed Luke Skywalker's dark turn in The Last Jedi and clarified that he doesn't hold a grudge against Johnson's decision.
"I’d love to clear this up: Rian Johnson is one of the most gifted directors I’ve ever worked with. He's amiable, he's fun on set, he's smart, he made a great movie," he said.
"I think the standoff between Kylo Ren — Adam Driver — and I at the end is so well-staged. I love Knives Out and Brick. He's one of my favorite directors."
Hamill explained why he expressed dissatisfaction about his character's dark turn after the release of the film.
"The fact that I went public with my dissatisfaction with the motivation for Luke becoming a suicidal hermit might have colored things in a way that, maybe, I should have kept that to myself," he said.
"But I kept saying to Rian, 'This would just make Luke double down even —' and he said, 'Well, your class at the Jedi Academy were wiped out.'"
Hamill continued, "I said, 'Rian, I saw entire planets wiped out!' 'If anything, Luke doubles down and hardens his resolve in the face of adversity.' So that’s all."
Despite their disagreements, Hamill still has huge respect for Johnson's creative direction for his character.
"I told [Rian], 'Despite the fact that I disagree with your choices for Luke, I’m going to do everything within my power to make your screenplay work as best as I can,'" he recalled.
"And the only thing unfortunate about that is, I’ve heard comments from fans who think that I somehow dislike Rian Johnson, and nothing could be further from the truth."
What is Mark Hamill's Original Idea for Luke Skywalker's Backstory?
Hamill also shared the backstory that he had in mind for Luke Skywalker on why he gave up being a Jedi.
"I made up a much, much darker backstory that I thought could justify him being that way. I thought, 'What could make someone give up a devotion to what is basically a religious entity, to give up being a Jedi?' Well, the love of a woman," he explained.
Hamill came up with a lot of scenarios before he landed with the idea that Luke "fell in love with a woman who was a widow" and "left the Jedi" to help raise her child. However, "the child got hold of a lightsaber and accidentally killed himself."
Not only that, the wife was "so full of grief" that "she kills herself."
Hamill added, "I hear these horrible stories about these children who find unattended guns and wind up dead. That resonated with me so deeply. But [Rian] didn’t have the time to tell a backstory like that, I’m guessing. He just wanted a brief thing to explain it. And to me, it didn’t justify it."
What do you think of Hamill's remarks? Let us know in the comments.
Keep it locked on Epicstream, your go-to site for film, TV, and celebrity coverage!