It’s been almost a week since Star Wars Day on May 4th, but Mark Hamill is continuing to celebrate the franchise for a full month just like the previous years. Yesterday was May 9th, which is why the actor decided to reflect on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the ninth and last movie in the saga.
J.J. Abrams’ concluding movie was Disney’s last hope of redeeming the dysfunctional and convoluted Sequel Trilogy. Yet, the story ended up dividing fans even further. For all the things that Episode IX had going for itself, including the return of Emperor Palpatine, the result was a lackluster rehash of nostalgic elements and fan-service moments that went against everything Rian Johnson set up in The Last Jedi. This ultimately backfired in the Mouse House’s face and those who even hated Episode VIII with a fiery passion couldn’t help but notice that at best, The Rise of Skywalker was a mediocre finale.
That being said, the final chapter proved to be an emotional ride despite all the controversy. After all, this may have been the last time we see our favorite heroes and other Legacy characters, like Luke, Han, and even Lando as played by Billy Dee Williams. And if that wasn’t enough to make fans miserable, then Hamill’s new tweet will certainly take care of the deed.
The post, which included a photo of Luke’s Force Ghost from Episode IX, called the movie “bittersweet” and revealed that this would be the actor’s final appearance as Luke Skywalker.
“May The 9th Be A Bittersweet Episode – Knowing It Was The Last Time I Would Ever Play Luke #ByeByeSkywalker.” He wrote.
Of course, Hamill had previously addressed the fact that he was done with Luke Skywalker while speaking with the Associated Press last year, noting:
“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.”
I think that we, as fans, can unanimously agree that we wouldn’t mind seeing Force Ghost Luke beyond Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in future projects, but we certainly get why Hamill would want some sense of closure after portraying the character for more than 40 years.