Mark Hamill has clarified his recent comments about retiring from Star Wars, insisting he is excited for the franchise’s future. Mark Hamill’s last appearance in the series came in The Book of Boba Fett, though with de-aging technology fitting him into the New Republic part of Star Wars’ timeline. Where the Star Wars movies are concerned, Hamill’s last appearance was in 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, in which his Force Ghost pᴀssed on the legacy of the Skywalker name to Daisy Ridley’s Rey. After commenting on his retirement from the franchise, though, Hamill has clarified some things.

In an interview with TODAY, Hamill was questioned on his recent comments that he was done with Star Wars. Hamill made sure to reiterate that his comments came from the fact that his story in The Rise of Skywalker “felt like a conclusion. My character was given complete closure; I died… and once the Skywalker trilogy was over, it was a whole new era for them [Lucasfilm].” Hamill went on to say:

“George gave them this amazing canvas, the entire galaxy, they can do Westerns, mysteries, comedies, you know, whodunnits, anything within that realm of Star Wars, and they’re doing so well… I had my time. I’m really appreciative, but I’m really looking to the future for all these new projects. I saw headlines: ‘Mark Hamill quit Star Wars.’ Well, let me say, they haven’t asked me. It’s not like they said, ‘Please come back.’ How much can you do with a Force Ghost? I’d like a movie set all in the Force Ghost realm. I could have conversations with Alec Guinness… From your lips to God’s ears.”

While Hamill admits the door remains somewhat open, based on his idea for a Force Ghost movie, it is clear that he feels Luke Skywalker has run his course in a galaxy far, far away.

Mark Hamill Feels His Star Wars Story Is Over

Luke Skywalker’s Journey Has Ended

As already alluded to, Hamill’s comments simply came as a matter of mindfulness over his Star Wars past. As he rightly points out, Luke Skywalker did die in Star Wars: The Last Jedi after becoming one with the Force. His appearance as a Star Wars Force Ghost in The Rise of Skywalker brought a sense of closure, with Luke and Leia pᴀssing on the legacy of their family to a new generation. When looking at it from this angle, it is difficult to disagree with Hamill when he says Luke Skywalker’s story is over.

Our Take On The Future Of Star Wars

Hamill Is Mostly Right, But There Are Some Avenues For A Luke Skywalker Comeback

For the most part, I think Mark Hamill is right. The future of Star Wars is leaning away from the likes of Luke Skywalker, no matter which way you look at things. Upcoming Star Wars movies are centered firmly on the New Republic – like The Mandalorian and Grogu – while other movies like Star Wars: Starfighter are telling standalone sequel-era stories. Luke Skywalker is around in the New Republic, but the issues with CGI technology and de-aging characters likely mean he will not return in any of these productions.

The future of Star Wars is instead shifting to new heroes. Even where legacy Star Wars characters appear, they are linked more to the prequel era. Anakin Skywalker is set for another role in Ahsoka season 2, for example, and while it would be cool to see him connect with his son through the Force, this is an unlikely proposition. Then you have Rey’s Jedi Order movie in which Luke could appear as a Force Ghost mentor. However, with Hamill commenting on how Star Wars is moving into a new era, maybe it is time to let Luke Skywalker rest in the Force.