Mark Hamill has given a rather final-sounding update on his future in the Star Wars franchise.
Having literally left his robes behind in the 2017 film ‘The Last Jedi’, the actor has ruled out returning to that galaxy far, far away.
The 73-year-old star owes his global fame to playing Luke Skywalker in the long-running sci-fi drama franchise.
He first took on the role in the original 1977 film, and continued to play the part until 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
But fans should not expect to see him playing the character ever again, as he told ComicBook, "I am so grateful to George (Lucas) for letting me be a part of that back in the day, the humble days when George called 'Star Wars' 'the most expensive low-budget movie ever made.'
"We never expected it to become a permanent franchise and a part of pop culture like that. But my deal is, I had my time."
Hinting he thinks the franchise needs to move on from the exploits of his character, he added, "I'm appreciative of that, but I think they should focus on the future and all the new characters."
Hamill was an original star of the franchise, playing Luke Skywalker alongside Harrison Ford's Han Solo and the late Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia Organa.
While he has not starred on screen as Luke in six years, Hamill did provide voice-over work in 2024 for the Disney+ animated miniseries Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, where he played the Jedi once again.
Even though it’s unlikely he’ll return, even as a force ghost, there’s still plenty of films in the series for us to go and re-watch (Star Wars movie marathon, anyone?).
