When it comes to the Star Wars films, there’s an unbelievable amount of thought that goes into production, from the design of each of the unique planets and details on the droids, to which hairstyle Luke Skywalker is going to don after thirty years away from audiences. Ahead of his brief return in 2015’s Force Awakens, Mark Hamill almost donned a bun for his comeback. Take a look:
Whoa. Now that’s a lot different than the Luke Skywalker we saw in the sequel trilogy. Lucasfilm concept artist Christian Alzmann shared this image on Instagram to show fans his original vision for Mark Hamill. It was designed back in January 2013 before the actor arrived to suit up in his iconic role.
Alzmann said Luke Skywalker was originally thought up as a Colonel Kurtz-type, the antagonist in Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, which the great Marlon Brando portrayed. That didn’t call for a bald look for Hamill, but a much longer beard and long hair pulled up into a bun. The look seems to channel one of an old Samurai warrior and George Lucas very much draws from Japanese cinema with his work in Star Wars. But, in the end, the man bun was cut and Luke let his long hair down with a shorter beard.
You can imagine the discussions that might have gone on. There might have been some kind of Lucasfilm office poll about which Luke better appealed to people. Mark Hamill's appearance at the end of Force Awakens is a lasting image fans were left with for two years, before Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi unfolded his story further. Alzmann shared another image of his design for Luke here:
It’s definitely an awesome concept for Luke after his years in isolation. I could also see Ewan McGregor pulling off a look like this for his Obi Wan Kenobi series, which is coming to Disney+. Going forward, Mark Hamill said he is definitely not returning to the role, with these words:
I had a beginning, middle, and end. Those films gave me far more than I ever expected when we started out so it's never even occurred to me. My farewell was in Episode IX and it was bittersweet. I love all those people and I certainly have affection for George and the character he created. I'm full of gratitude for what it has given me and my career but I don't want to be greedy. There are still so many more stories to tell and so many great actors to tell them, they don't need me.
The future of Star Wars is certainly bright, with Ewan McGregor going back to his prequel character, and Diego Luna playing Rogue One’s Cassian again for the same streaming service. The Mandalorian looks to be setting itself up for a massive second season and we can always go back to the nine-episode movie series. You can sign up for a Disney+ account with this link to watch.
There’s a number of new Star Wars films in the works that are separate from the Skywalker Saga, including one being made by Thor: Ragnarok’s Taika Waititi. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more news from a galaxy far, far away, and vote for your favorite Luke haircut below.
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