Spoiler alert for Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
While it was released back in December, cinephiles and fans alike are still reeling from the events of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Rian Johnson's sequel purposefully subverted fan expectations, and brought a wild ride that helped to expand the galaxy far, far away. Every frame from The Last Jedi has been dissected and discussed, as fans continue to debate whether or not they appreciated Johnson's installment in the franchise. One of the biggest points of contention is the fate of Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker, and now the beloved actor has shared his hilarious first reaction to how Luke vanished into thin air after his confrontation with Kylo Ren. He said,
I said to them, I said, 'Are you going to just have the metal hand clang down on the rock?'
While the dramatic twist revolving around Luke's demise no doubt surprised Mark Hamill when he got the script, it turns out that his mind went to the practicality of the dramatic exit. What exactly was going to happen to Luke's robotic hand?
During The Last Jedi's massive battle on Crait, Luke surprises both the audience and characters by popping up. His battle with Kylo Ren turned out to be an illusion, as Luke was merely projecting a vision of himself to the battle. After inspiring the Resistance and allowing them to escape, Luke vanishes into thin air similarly to Obi-Wan Kenobi's destruction in A New Hope.
It seems this last demonstration of Luke's powers were simply too much for the Jedi Master, and he ended up passing on. Many fans took umbrage with this creative choice, as the original trilogy was very much about Luke's journey. Fans were disappointed to see him all but absent in The Force Awakens, with The Last Jedi serving as his long awaited welcome back to the franchise.
Mark Hamill's hilarious comments come from his appearance at the The Creative Minds Series (via IGN) asked a hilarious logistical detail about Luke's dramatic exit. Luke's robes were left behind when he perished, presumably because only his biological matter vanished into the after life. But that should have left his robotic hand behind, which he's been wearing since Darth Vader took in Empire Strikes Back.
While Star Wars: The Last Jedi was probably set to be Luke's final appearance in the franchise, there is a chance that he'll end up returning for J.J. Abrams' Episode IX. That untitled sequel was supposed to be largely focused on Carrie Fisher's Leia, but the legendary actress' untimely death threw a wrench into that plan. It would be a shame for Episode IX to be the first main Star Wars without any members of the original heroes, so hopefully Luke will return as a Force Ghost. We'll just have to wait and see.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is available On Demand now, with a physical release coming March 27th. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
