Though it's not the only iconic character he's portrayed, it's difficult to discuss Luke Skywalker without thinking of Mark Hamill. That being said, Hamill won't be around forever, which has left Star Wars fans wondering who will portray the Jedi once Hamill passes on to become one with the Force.
As inseparable as Luke Skywalker is from Hamill, Luke Skywalker is even more inseparable from Star Wars. Though the franchise has expanded vastly since Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope was released in theaters in 1977, the farmboy from Tatooine has never been forgotten. The character Luke Skywalker has appeared in all three major Star Wars trilogies, with Hamill portraying him in two. More recently, a younger version of Luke was featured in The Mandalorian season 2 and The Book of Boba Fett season 1. Though audiences hear Hamill's voice, Luke was physically portrayed by Max Lloyd-Jones, and Hamill's de-aged face was digitally put over the actor's.
Some might say that sounds like a lot of effort to avoid recasting Luke Skywalker, and Hamill would be the first to agree. During an interview with Esquire, Hamill spoke about working with Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni on The Mandalorian to bring a younger version of Luke to life. While he admitted to liking the Star Wars show and the work, he found it "unusual" to look at the in-progress and finished footage. Speaking more directly about whether he'll continue to be involved with Star Wars in that capacity, he said, "People say, 'Oh, now you're going to be able to do a whole series of Luke post-'Return of the Jedi'.' I said, 'I don't think so.' First of all, they don't need to tell those stories, but if they do, they could get an age-appropriate actor." Regarding the process of recreating the Luke Skywalker fans know and love, he added, "It can't be cheap."
Several Star Wars fans share Hamill's thoughts about the character. Specifically, fans have long wanted Sebastian Stan to take over the role and portray the young Jedi in Star Wars projects that tell stories requiring a younger Luke. At the moment, Lucasfilm has not made any official announcements regarding who will play Luke Skywalker in future projects.
While at least one more Deepfake Luke Skywalker cameo might be on the horizon, future Star Wars appearances may need to rely on an entirely new actor. While recasting actors when they're too old to portray a character isn't uncommon, it's something that Lucasfilm seems unwilling to do. Ewan McGregor reprised his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the show Kenobi almost twenty years after the last time he played the character for a live-action project.
Following Carrie Fisher's death, Lucasfilm kept Fisher in Star Wars: Episode 9 as Leia Organa using old footage and editing software to change her hair and costuming rather than cast a different actress. While the commitment to honoring such iconic and recognizable characters is admirable, it may be more sustainable - and more popular - for Lucasfilm and Disney to bring new actors into the fold.
The Star Wars saga is available on Disney Plus.
Source: Esquire