This Sebastian Stan playing Luke Skywalker thing does not look like it is not going away anytime soon. The actor behind Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films has been made acutely aware of how much he resembles a young Mark Hamill. The two actors have had a lot of fun with it before we get to see Mark Hamill's return to the role in this weekend's Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Although, Sebastian Stan is about to play Jeff Gillooly in I, Tonya, while making the rounds for that film, Sebastian Stan touched on what time period in Luke Skywalker's life he could potentially inhabit on film. He said:
I feel like I have some sort of his blessing. I didn't even realize it actually, I used to love Luke Skywalker when I was younger. Then a friend said to me, they've already done young Luke Skywalker, so you would be middle-aged Luke Skywalker... That's where I'd come in.
Indeed, although he is often cited as resembling a young Luke Skywalker, he really resembles a younger Mark Hamill, as young Luke Skywalker was already featured in the original Star Wars trilogy. As Sebastian Stan told Esquire, the time between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens is the period he could explore if he were to become Luke. Middle-aged Luke Skywalker is indeed the chapter in the Jedi Master's life that we know the least about. The events following Return of the Jedi were once chronicled in books that are no longer considered canon. Now there are only bits and pieces in the new, post-Disney canon. Star Wars is finally branching out to all new time periods, places and characters with Rian Johnson's upcoming trilogy, but I can't imagine Disney will pass up on showing a young, err, middle-aged Luke Skywalker at some point in the future.
Sebastian Stan is a talented actor with action chops. He also looks the part and is already a member of the Disney family. Mark Hamill is clearly a fan of the idea and if there is one thing Disney knows it is that nostalgia and familiarity are reliable things to bank on with an audience. There are still so many questions about Luke Skywalker's time after Return of the Jedi. While some of these may be answered in The Last Jedi, thirty years of life cannot be summed up in a few mere flashbacks. What battles did he fight in? Did he ever find love? How far has he traveled? Luke assumedly did a lot of brooding during those years, and as Sebastian Stan showed as Bucky Barnes, he can do brooding.
A film or films featuring a middle-aged Luke Skywalker wandering the galaxy like a samurai without a master could be an exciting proposition. There is arguably no one better suited for such a role than Mark Hamill's 'son', Sebastian Stan. In the meantime, you can see an older Luke Skywalker when you check out Star Wars: The Last Jedi, in theaters this weekend. Pre-order your tickets here.
