Star Wars: Episode IX starts shooting in a mere month’s time and with it will come the usual landslide of rumors, script leaks and semi-spoilers. We, for one, can’t wait, and providing a little foreplay now for the whole experience is Mark Hamill himself, the one man promo machine who knows how to grab a headline.
This time, he’s talking Luke being involved in the film. Or at least, he’s flirting with the possibility. Speaking to Collider, the actor was asked whether or not his character will be seen in Episode IX and confessed: “I don’t know. I’m the last to know. I like it that way. I like surprises, but when I know something, I’ll let you know.”
Hamill has seemingly enjoyed being back in the limelight in recent years and is consistently playful on Twitter and in interviews. Could he be giving us the run-around here, then? Perhaps. His vocal dissection of Star Wars: The Last Jedi has revealed that his role was originally supposed to be very different, with him being all-powerful with the Force from the off, so he knows how quickly plans can change.
There’s also the Carrie Fisher conundrum. With Episode IX reportedly originally set to focus on the character of Princess Leia – just like Episode VII did with Han and Episode VIII did with Luke – Fisher’s untimely passing will have caused plans to be hugely overhauled. Perhaps leaving room for the return of the Jedi?
But most interestingly is that there’s no flat-out denial here. There’s no “Didn’t you see the last movie? I Force Projected my way across the galaxy and then disappeared into thin air like a dying Avenger! Of course I won’t be in the film.” But then again, where’s the fun in that?
Star Wars: Episode IX arrives in a theater not so far away on December 20th, 2019. Will it feature Luke in some capacity, though? Or is the franchise truly done with the past? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.