That climactic scene in season 2 of The Mandalorian (yes, that one), caught all but the most ardent of nerdy speculators by surprise. But it turns out that the viewers weren't the only ones whose jaws dropped at the prospect of such a revelation. Even the face behind the cameo himself, Mark Hamill, got all giddy with excitement when he was told how things would go down.
Hamill, part-time Luke Skywalker, full-time Joker, and friend to little green puppets everywhere, recently revealed that his cameo as Skywalker in The Mandalorian was just as surprising to him as it was to the fans. Sure, he knew about it before they did, but that just means he got to enjoy the shock earlier than everyone else. Speaking on The Tonight Show, Hamill detailed exactly how he felt when he got that call, which humbled him even more than the praise he received from fellow Mandalorian star Ming-Na Wen.
"Talk about unexpected,” Hamill said when host Jimmy Fallon brought up the cameo. “I had finished playing that part, and I never expected to do it again. I figured if they ever tell stories of Luke in that period, post the originals and pre-sequels, they would get an age-appropriate actor. So when Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni told me about what they wanted to do, I was just stunned." Honestly, while his idea about a younger actor taking over the part is a reasonable assumption, most fans will probably agree that it wouldn't have been the same without Hamill himself behind that uncanny valley CGI face.
The season finale of The Mandalorian blew fans away after an already intense season that even earned a few Emmy nominations. With Din Djarin (the titular Mandalorian) and his comrades facing seemingly impossible odds while rescuing Grogu (more popularly and affectionately known as Baby Yoda), a lone X-Wing starfighter docked with the ship they were stranded on. The team watched on the monitors as a robed figure cut down the enemy droids with ease, sporting a green lightsaber. When they finally meet, the figure lowers his hood to reveal the face of Luke Skywalker himself, having answered the call sent through the Force by Grogu in an earlier episode. Needless to say, fans freaked the heck out.
To be fair, though, the notion of a younger actor stepping into the shoes of Luke Skywalker has been brought up a number of times, with many floating the idea of Sebastian Stan playing Luke in future Star Wars projects. Just like how the more recent Star Trek movies recast new talent in the lead roles, it wouldn't be all that farfetched, even if some fans would understandably have a bit of a tough time letting go of the old guard. The reaction to Hamill on The Mandalorian kind of proved that theory in its own wonderfully geeky kind of way.
But it just goes to show how big of an impact that role and the franchise itself have had on fans over the years and still does today. Hamill still maintains a powerful connection with both the character and the fans, and it would be difficult to see anyone else taking over, regardless of how well they performed it. Hopefully, Star Wars keeps focusing on new characters and stories, making such a question moot. If nothing else, it will get the fans talking, just like the masterpiece known as The Last Jedi.
The Mandalorian is now available on Disney Plus.