Mark Hamill Rules Out Future ‘Star Wars’ Returns

Mark Hamill doesn’t intend to return to Star Wars.

Mark Hamill, who is now 73 years old, initially portrayed Luke Skywalker in the original “Star Wars” movie way back in 1977. However, he does not express a desire to reprise his role as the main character because he feels it would be better for the series leadership to concentrate on developing “new” stories featuring different characters at their core.

In an interview with ComicBook.com, Hamill expressed his gratitude towards George for allowing him to be involved back then, during the modest era when George referred to Star Wars as the costliest low-budget film ever produced.

Originally, we hadn’t anticipated that it would evolve into an enduring franchise with such a significant impact on pop culture. However, here’s the thing – my era has passed. I’m grateful for the experience, but I believe it’s time for them to look forward and explore all the fresh characters they could create.

As a passionate film lover, I must say that Mark Hamill’s most notable role lately was as a force spirit in the 2019 sequel trilogy movie “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” In a humorous twist, he hinted that it might be impossible for him to reappear on screen after the spectral truth about his character, Luke Skywalker, was unveiled in the 2017 film “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

In The Last Jedi, I vanished without a trace and abandoned my robe. There’s simply no chance I’ll materialize as a spectral being without any clothing.

Last year, Hamill openly admitted that he lost interest in Star Wars after the unexpected death of his fellow actor Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia, due to a heart attack at the age of 60 in 2016.

Speaking of the time he discovered Fisher’s passing, he mentioned: “My wife (Marilou York), who wakes up before me, entered our bedroom while I was still asleep. She had tears streaming down her face telling me that Carrie had… It left a lasting impact on how I approach Star Wars in total. The magic was lost. I prefer not to discuss it as I don’t care to revisit the memory.

Additionally, Hamill honored Fisher for embodying a “natural feminism” in the science fiction series, as she fearlessly confronted the malevolent Darth Vader and assumed leadership roles over both Luke Skywalker and Han Solo (played by Harrison Ford).

He noted: “It seemed like casual advocacy for feminism to portray the Princess as anything but timid. She was strong-willed, she stood up to Darth Vader boldly – she showed no fear whatsoever in the presence of Darth Vader.

‘What do you mean by rescue? Give me that gun!’)

“She managed to make us appear as bumbling duos. In my mind, I mused, ‘That’s unpretentious feminism,’ since it didn’t require an apology; instead, it demonstrated that a woman can be just as competent as any man.”

This version preserves the original meaning and maintains a conversational tone, making it easier to read.

The Best Sci-Fi Films of the Last 10 Years (2015-2024)

10. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

James Gunn skillfully concluded his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, creating a movie that masterfully blends blockbuster elements. It offers grand action sequences, quirky extraterrestrial visuals, and characters who capture the audience’s deep affection. By the end of Vol. 3, Bradley Cooper’s Rocket, initially a Marvel B-lister, had evolved into one of the company’s most intriguing and tragic heroes. Amidst a series of average Marvel productions, Gunn made crafting an MCU film appear effortless, infusing an extraordinary sci-fi tale with a rare quality in films about sentient alien raccoons: A sense of humanity.

9. The Wild Robot (2024)

Discussing humanity in surprising settings: It’s hard to imagine any parent remaining dry-eyed at least once (or even eight times) while watching The Wild Robot, an enchanting and emotionally stirring animated sci-fi tale from DreamWorks. This story follows a sophisticated robot (played by Lupita Nyong’o) who finds itself stranded on an animal-inhabited island and decides to carry out its programming by caring for an abandoned gosling as a mother figure. With stunning countryside backdrops and witty undertones, The Wild Robot delivers a profoundly moving message about our world, emphasizing the significance of every creature, large or small.

8. The Substance (2024)

In this Cronenberg-esque blend of sci-fi, horror, and comedy, Demi Moore delivers a captivating performance as a once-popular TV actress who experiments with the enigmatic drug “The Substance,” transforming into her younger counterpart (Margaret Qualley) for a career reboot. This intriguing film is worth adding to your Blu-ray or streaming collection. If you didn’t catch it in theaters, you missed an extraordinary experience. Watching it with a crowd, as we all navigated writer/director Coralie Fargeat’s thought-provoking commentary on the absurd beauty standards in the entertainment industry, was a unique and beautiful spectacle to witness (and trust me, she pushed those boundaries quite far).

(Spoiler alert: It goes very far.)

7. Godzilla Minus One (2023)

In a remarkable twist, the prequel to Godzilla was not only logical but brilliantly executed. By setting Godzilla in post-World War II Japan once again, it reinstated the original monster’s role as a chilling allegory for nuclear terror and war-induced psychological trauma. And let me assure you, this Godzilla is truly terrifying. He appears massive, sickly, and his atomic breath is genuinely frightening. However, Godzilla Minus One is not merely a spectacle of size. It features a human protagonist (Ryunosuke Kamiki) who is deeply flawed yet compelling, and it delves into complex themes about kamikaze pilots that permeate the narrative and culminate in an emotionally intense decision. There’s even a segment that feels like a Howard Hawks film about a band of seasoned sailors battling against a colossal nuclear-powered dinosaur. If that sounds captivating, it’s because it truly is.

6. Ex Machina (2015)

In the contemporary science fiction film realm, few creators have made as significant an impression as Alex Garland, who penned “Sunshine” and “Dredd,” and made his directorial debut with the thought-provoking “Ex Machina.” This film offers a profound exploration of the ever-blurring boundary between humanity and technology. A gifted programmer (Oscar Isaac) designs the world’s first artificial intelligence, gives it a sleek female form (Alicia Vikander), and enlists an inexperienced colleague (Domhnall Gleeson) to evaluate its capabilities.

At first glance, this appears to be a straightforward contest of wills; however, Garland’s intricate script and the characters’ complexities go far beyond what is initially apparent. The roles of hero and villain are not easily defined in this story, with the answers fluctuating from scene to scene and viewing to viewing. In Garland’s chilling portrayal, it seems inevitable that robots will soon supplant us. And maybe, just maybe, that day cannot come soon enough.

5. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

In a remarkable turn of events, Blade Runner 2049 succeeded at an apparently unachievable feat: It advanced the narrative of a timeless science-fiction legend without providing definitive answers to the enigmas that made the original so captivating. Director Denis Villeneuve’s expansive, visually stunning sequel to Ridley Scott’s philosophical exploration of life in a devastated future not only incorporated modern technology while maintaining the aesthetic of the first film, but also showcased an emotionally stirring performance by Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard. Ford’s return in Blade Runner 2049 resonates with one of the movie’s most profound themes: In even the darkest periods, there remains hope for doing something meaningful.

4. Annihilation (2018)

When someone claims that a science fiction movie gives them goosebumps, it’s typically figurative. However, in this instance, I can say it quite literally: The film Annihilation made me feel uneasy and uncomfortable in my own skin. Adapted from the renowned novel by Jeff VaderMeer, the movie chronicles a military team’s journey into “The Shimmer,” an anomalous region in Florida that was altered three years ago by the arrival of an enigmatic meteor. Similar to his work in Ex Machina, director Alex Garland uses science fiction as a medium to reflect humanity, a concept he visually presents in the unsettling final scenes of Annihilation. The movie as a whole is reminiscent of the grotesque yet beautiful remains discovered by Natalie Portman and her team on a wall within the ever-changing alien boundaries of the Shimmer: Both hideous and captivating simultaneously.

3. Nope (2022)

In a more recent time, the work of writer-director Jordan Peele may not appear as extraordinary. Indeed, he is not the first to create science fiction films that are both aesthetically pleasing and terrifying, or to employ horror and sci-fi narratives as metaphors for real-world problems. However, in today’s cinema landscape where many releases consist of sequels, remakes, and high-octane action movies, Peele stands out as if on a higher plane compared to most of his contemporaries. Collaborating with cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, Peele masterfully transitions between breathtaking Western vistas and haunting scenes (and sounds, oh the sounds) of unforgettable fear.

2. Dune (2021)

Simply put, one viewing of Denis Villeneuve’s stunning adaptation of the first half of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel “Dune” transformed me into a dedicated fan. The film embodies the epic grandeur that book enthusiasts have always praised as what makes the original story so captivating. Watching it, I finally grasped why countless readers have been entranced by this material. Villeneuve masterfully tackled a novel that has proven challenging for many esteemed directors in the past, producing a coherent, visually stunning, and powerfully desert-inspired film. The upcoming “Dune: Part Two” (2024) was equally impressive.

1. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Fury Road” is a remarkable science fiction film from the past decade, possibly even the century, that boasts exceptional action sequences. However, it’s not just an action movie; it’s also one of the most spiritual and Biblical films of the last ten years. It’s like a journey out of Sodom and Gomorrah in search of a new paradise. The main characters are a band of heroic women, led by Charlize Theron’s character Imperator Furiosa, who is already an icon, and guided through the desert by a mad prophet, played by Tom Hardy’s Max. George Miller’s chaotic masterpiece demonstrates that science fiction blockbusters can be both exciting and intelligent. If someone tries to argue otherwise, you should look them straight in the eye and say, “That’s ridiculous.

2025-06-02 17:00