One of most divisive elements of Star Wars: The Last Jedi was without a doubt its portrayal of a grouchy, later-years Luke Skywalker, with fans upset that the hero didn’t get the big, grand send-off he deserved. And though it’s common knowledge already that Mark Hamill will be returning as the character at least one more time for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, it’s been widely assumed that when we meet back up with him next it’ll be as a Force ghost – a form that we usually see wise old advisers like Obi-Wan Kenobi take.
This is something that’s now been confirmed by Hamill himself. While speaking to the Associated Press at the red carpet premiere for Child’s Play, the actor was asked if Episode IX will be his last time portraying Luke, to which he replied:
“I sure hope so. Well, because…I had closure in [The Last Jedi]. The fact that I’m involved in any capacity is only because of that peculiar aspect of the Star Wars mythology where if you’re a Jedi, you get to come back and make a curtain call as a Force ghost.”
So, there you have it – Luke will indeed return as a Force ghost. That being said, it’s odd that Lucasfilm has hyped up Hamill’s involvement so much if a small Force ghost cameo was all he’s been brought in for. After all, there’s a reason they kept Yoda and Maul’s respective roles in The Last Jedi and Solo a surprise, right?
Then again, given that we imagine most of the film will be focused on the newer characters, like Rey, Finn and Poe, there’s really only so much that Force ghost sequences can do to keep Luke in the action. And besides, the fact that he’ll appear at all should be enough to please fans, who’ve been hoping they’ll get one last chance to say goodbye to him.
And they’ll be able to do just that when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker lands in theaters on December 20th.