The Mandalorian Season 2 left Star Wars fans floored with its action-packed and emotional season finale. But the biggest surprise was the inclusion of Luke Skywalker, who arrived to take Grogu (Baby Yoda) in order to begin the small alien’s Jedi training. Of course, the iconic character was portrayed by a de-aged Mark Hamill, who has since been expressing gratitude for getting to reprise this iteration of Skywalker. The finale, “Chapter 16: The Rescue,” was helmed by Ant-Man director Peyton Reed and, after the filmmaker paid tribute to Hamill, the actor sent him a heartfelt message in return.
Peyton Reed grew up a Star Wars fan, so getting to direct not one, but two, episodes of The Mandalorian was a dream come true. While Reed has given thanks to producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni for bringing him on, he couldn’t help but share a vintage photo of the actor and thank him for the positive work experience.
Mark Hamill, being the sentimental person that he is, later thanked Peyton Reed through a message of his own. Check out the Twitter post down below:
As much love as Mark Hamill receives from Star Wars fans for his role as Luke Skywalker, he definitely doesn’t mind showering it on others as well. The Mandalorian Season 2 finale was checked off a bucket list item for both Hamill and Peyton Reed, and you have to love that the two are so thankful for it.
Hamill, who’s incredibly active on social media, is known for having sweet interactions with fans and fellow Star Wars collaborators. Just recently, Ming-Na Wen, who plays Fennec Shand on The Mandalorian, had a great time geeking out with Hamill about their roles in the expansive franchise. And he also likes to have a bit of fun with fans as well. Before the actor truly opened up about the Mandalorian finale, he first responded to it with a short and cheeky post.
The fact that Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni were able to get Hamill to return as Luke Skywalker was probably a bit surprising for many fans. After playing the role in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Hamill claimed that he had retired from the role and seemed to solidify this with a bittersweet social media post. But it would appear that the allure of playing a Return of the Jedi-era Luke was just too great for him to overcome, and Hamill certainly did not disappoint when reviving the hero.
It’s possible that The Mandalorian may be the final time we ever see Mark Hamill don his Jedi robes and lightsaber. But if it is, there probably isn’t a better way for the actor and his character to go out.
The first two seasons of The Mandalorian are available to stream on Disney+.
