Despite the his death in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Luke Skywalker has been the subject of an insane number of Star Wars: Episode IX rumors, and while the sheer volume of these reports is almost certainly a case of the internet telling fans what they want to hear, surely Lucasfilm wouldn’t announce Mark Hamill’s return in advance if a quick, Yoda-style cameo was all they had in mind.
It’s therefore only natural that some fans are predicting at least one epic moment from the hero in J.J. Abrams’ next release, and in a new piece from CinemaBlend, the case is made that the character will be seen exhibiting some insane levels of Force ability.
The piece references an old rumor that Luke will singlehandedly bring down a Star Destroyer, while suggesting that Abrams may have other ideas in mind for a major display of power from the character. Either way, the point is made that if the film does show Luke with such godlike abilities, it would probably be through flashback rather than in a present day Force Ghost scene. After all, Luke’s death would lose most of its emotional weight if he was shown to have just as much presence and influence from beyond the grave.
The article also points to previous reports of Episode IX serving as a “course correction” for the saga, suggesting that Abrams might be aiming to win back some of the fans who were put off by The Last Jedi. And seeing how Rian Johnson’s depiction of Luke remains among the sorest spots for the film’s detractors, showing him in full Jedi mode wouldn’t be the worst way of appealing to franchise traditionalists.
Of course, this is all just speculation for the time being, but with Hamill himself refusing to share the details of his role in next year’s release, we’ll just have to find out what’s in store for Luke when Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters on December 20th, 2019.
