Luke Skywalker has vanished. As far as opening crawls go, few are as dramatic and immediate as Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Teeing up the events to come in brilliant fashion, that ambiguous tease had fans on tenterhooks for much of the movie, and it was only during the final scene that Mark Hamill’s wayward Jedi Master appeared on screen. Had J.J. Abrams and Co. taken the actor’s initial thoughts on board, though, Luke Skywalker could have been introduced long before Rey made a beeline for Ahch-To, home to the first Jedi Temple.
As Hamill revealed during a panel at the ongoing Star Wars Celebration Europe, he initially hoped Luke would have leaped into action on Starkiller Base, catching the lightsaber mid-flight as it flies from the snow.
It was a scene that already made a nod to Luke’s encounter with the Wampa in Empire Strikes Back, though Hamill reflected on his initial hopes for Luke’s intro: “Where I thought I came in, I thought I came in when the lightsaber flies off [in the snow]. What? Rey caught it? She hasn’t even finished her training!”
Set to reprise his role as the legendary Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode VIII, Hamill confirmed that he will have some dialogue in the galactic sequel. Said he: “There’s dialogue in there that I can see on a t-shirt. Rian Johnson is amazing. Forget ‘May the Force be with you.'” Color us intrigued.
Episode VIII also features Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Lupita Nyong’o, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Andy Serkis, Benicio Del Toro and Laura Dern.
Star Wars: Episode VIII is due to land on December 15, 2017. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, meanwhile, is next in line to tumble off Disney’s conveyor belt on December 16, 2016.
