3 years since we last saw Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill definitively rules out a Star Wars return: "There's no way I'm gonna appear naked as a Force ghost"

(Image credit: LucasFilm)

Star Wars icon Mark Hamill thinks the beloved sci-fi franchise should focus on the future from now on, and that means saying goodbye to his legendary character, Luke Skywalker.

While promoting his new movie The Life of Chuck, the actor has definitely ruled out a return to the saga, and he has pretty good reasons.

"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,'" he told ComicBook.

"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."

Well, a naked Luke Skywalker ghost would be a sight to behold, but it's probably for the best that Hamill is not up for it.

The last time we saw him playing the character in a movie was in 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which felt like a goodbye. However, we have seen Hamill as the character again in a couple of Disney Plus series, which are set earlier in the Star Wars timeline. A de-aged version of Luke appeared in the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian in late 2020, and during a brief appearance in The Book of Boba Fett episode 6, in February 2022.

Next in the Star Wars calendar is The Mandalorian & Grogu, which will bring Pedro Pascal's Mando and his little companion to the big screen for the first time. Shawn Levy's movie starring Ryan Gosling will be next (it starts shooting this year), with the return of Daisy Ridley's Rey following at some point after. Ahsoka season 2 is also expected next year.

For more, check out our list for all upcoming Star Wars movies and TV series, and see our guide on how to watch Star Wars in order to find your way around the saga.

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Mireia Mullor
Contributing Writer

Mireia is a UK-based culture journalist and critic. She previously worked as Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy, and her work as a freelance writer has appeared in WeLoveCinema and Spanish magazines Fotogramas, Esquire, and Elle. She is also a published author, having written a book about Studio Ghibli's 'Kiki's Delivery Service' in 2023. Talking about anime and musicals is the best way to grab her attention.

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