Mark Hamill on ‘The Last Jedi’: “He’s Not My Luke Skywalker” (SPOILERS)

SPOILERS AHEAD: Star Wars fans who found themselves disillusioned by The Last Jedi have been seeking validation for their opinions all over the internet since the film premiered last Thursday night. Mostly that validation has come from fellow fans who shared their opinion that the film missed the mark in several, particularly with the OT characters (R.I.P. Admiral Ackbar, you deserved a hero's death and a ten minute funeral sequence). 

Well, now the validation is coming from Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, who is telling these fans exactly what they need to hear right now. In a recent interview reported on by Comic Book Movie, Hamill says the words these disenchanted fans needed to hear...

"I said to Rian, ‘Jedi’s don’t give up.’ I mean, even if he had a problem, he would maybe take a year to try and regroup. But if he made a mistake, he would try and right that wrong. So, right there we had a fundamental difference, but it’s not my story anymore. It’s somebody else’s story – and Rian needed me to be a certain way to make the ending effective. …That’s the crux of my problem. Luke would never say that. I’m sorry. Well, in this version, see I’m talking about the George Lucas Star Wars. This is the next generation of Star Wars, so I almost had to think of Luke as another character. Maybe he’s Jake Skywalker. He’s not my Luke Skywalker, but I had to do what Rian wanted me to do because it serves the story well. I still haven't accepted it completely, but, it's only a movie. I hope people like it, I hope people don't get upset, but I came to really believe that Rian was the exact man that they needed for this job."

Now, it's one thing to read all of that, but listen to Mark Hamill actually say all of that and see if it doesn't make it feel even more personal...

You've really gotta love this man. It's important to remember that we've had all of six days to wrestle with this interpretation of Luke. He's been dealing with it for close to two years now and STILL hasn't "accepted it completely." It's a blessing to have an actor as open and honest about his gripes with the franchise that made him who he is today. I have no doubt that J.J. is going to bring him back for Episode IX, and he also needs to bring back Billy Dee Williams for cripe's sake.

Open the film with Chewbacca and Rey landing on a platform in Cloud City where they're met by Lobot. They walk silently through the halls until they end up in Lando's office where Lando is seated with his back to them. We hear, "How you doin' Chewbacca?" and the chair spins around and there's Billy Dee. He can even give Rey a "Hellooo" like he gives Leia in Empire. And then Rey says, "We've come to bring you back your ship." And then Lando asks, "Where's Han," and Chewie cries mournfully, saying everything with a solitary growl. And Lando says, "I'm gonna need a co-pilot," at which point we smash cut to Nien Nunb's house, cue "Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC and now you've got yourself a Star Wars movie.