Mark Hamill, Rian Johnson Didn't Agree On Luke's Characterization In The Last Jedi

Though Mark Hamill has nothing but love for Rian Johnson, the actor's vision for his iconic character Luke Skywalker doesn't align with the filmmaker's.

During a press junket for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, ScreenRant spoke with Hamill. There, the interviewer brought up how Johnson approached the character for the newest installment of the hallowed franchise–a task that couldn't have been easy, as Luke has been living in isolation on the planet of Ahch-To. When asked if he agreed with Johnson's ideas for the beloved Force-sensitive fighter in The Last Jedi, Hamill simply stated, "No."

Of course, Hamill was asked to elaborate on that "no" and why his vision for Luke didn't align with Johnson's, first explaining that he could see where the filmmaker's head was at when crafting the character's Last Jedi story. 

"I think when I read [the script], it's like the movie is just mind-bogglingly complex. It's challenging. It's hilarious in parts. It's suspenseful. It's dark and somber. I'm holding the fort down on the dark and somber. But... the most shocking thing I read was [that] it's time for the Jedi to end," Hamill said. "I understood Luke's regret at being wrong about who the Chosen One was, and he feels responsible for creating potentially the next Darth Vader, and hey, I mean, ruining [his] nephew's life. [I also understood] not perceiving that he was going to the Dark Side until too late, so that weighs heavily on him."

Breaking down Hamill's response, his mention of the Chosen One seems to indicate that the prophecy will be an important aspect of Luke's growth within The Last Jedi. The Chosen One was first introduced to Star Wars lore in the prequel series, and refers to a Jedi others believed would bring a sense of balance to the Force, an accomplishment that many thought could be achieved by eradicating the Sith. Unfortunately, Revenge of the Sith saw Yoda hinting that the Chosen One prophecy could easily have been misread. 

Given that the legend was left out of Hamill's original trilogy, it appears that Luke learned of it between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, and assumed his nephew Ben Solo (Adam Driver) was the Chosen One when he was training him. Sadly, Luke didn't realize that Ben, who grows into the villainous Kylo Ren we all know, was inching toward the Dark Side of the Force. As Hamill implied, Luke is devastated about having ruined his nephew's life by falsely believing he would be the one to restore order in the galaxy. So when Rey (Daisy Ridley) meets Luke on Ahch-To and wants to train with him, he fears that he will make the same mistake. 

While this is a darker story than Hamill would have wanted for Luke, and it seems he doesn't truly believe Luke wants the Jedi to end forever, the actor hinted that Luke will have a character arc that ends in success. "All the characters face challenges in the second act of a three-act play or opera. I mean, this is where all the darkest things happened. There [are] triumphs, of course, but more than [their] share of tragedies," Hamill said. 

What exactly will happen with Luke in The Last Jedi remains a mystery for now. All of our questions will (hopefully) be answered when the film is released on December 15.