Mark Hamill may not be taking your questions on Episode IX, but he is willing to reflect on the last-minute developments of Star Wars: The Force Awakens while coming to the defense of some goofy franchise merchandise.
The actor was recently messaged on Twitter by a Star Wars fan (as in, someone who likes the movies) about a Star Wars fan (as in, a device for keeping you cool). Above the spinning blades of this tie-in product is a model of Luke Skywalker with the most astonished expression on his face. While the user lamented that this bug-eyed figure “doesn’t even look like him,” Hamill offered the following explanation:
“That expression was me reading the last page of The Force Awakens script.”
That expression was me reading the last page of The Force Awakens script. 😵 https://t.co/9IxfBFWbWP
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) October 19, 2018
Hamill is presumably referring to the long-awaited return of Luke, as Rey arrives on the planet Ahch-To and introduces herself to the famed Jedi right before the credits to Star Wars: The Force Awakens begin to roll. Of course, for many of us, the real surprises came in The Last Jedi, when Luke turned out to have a very different worldview and storyline from what a lot of fans were anticipating. The results proved divisive, but with Hamill confirmed to return in Episode IX, it seems that the character still has some story left in him.
At the moment, Luke is the subject of a whole load of rumors and speculation, with reports teasing everything from epic displays of power to a duel with Supreme Leader Snoke. While much of this will likely turn out to be false, one of the more reasonable predictions is that Luke will be spending much of next year’s release in Force Ghost form, though even that may not be confirmed until Star Wars: Episode IX comes out on December 20th, 2019.
