Luke Skywalker Actor Mark Hamill Officially Rules Out Star Wars Return: 'There's No Way I'm Gonna Appear as a Naked Force Ghost'

If you were wondering whether Mark Hamill might reprise his role as Luke Skywalker’s Force ghost, the answer is a firm no. The iconic actor has officially ruled out any future involvement in the Star Wars franchise, emphasizing that it's time for the saga to look ahead and focus on new stories and characters.

During an interview with ComicBook.com promoting his latest film, The Life of Chuck, Hamill was asked about a potential return as Luke’s Force ghost in the upcoming Rey-led movie, New Jedi Order. His response was clear: there are no plans for him to come back. After all, Luke made his final bow in The Last Jedi (2017), leaving behind his robes—and according to Hamill, there's no way he’d show up as a “naked Force ghost.”

“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,’” Hamill reflected.

“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. I’m appreciative of that, but I really think they should focus on the future and all the new characters.”

Rey, however, is set to return in a new Star Wars film directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Titled New Jedi Order, the movie will follow Rey as she seeks to rebuild the Jedi Order roughly 15 years after the events of Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. In a 2024 interview with AlloCiné, Daisy Ridley shared her enthusiasm for the project: “Once I knew what the story was and everything, I knew that it was something I really wanted to do. I think it's a really fantastic exploration of the Star Wars world. It's a really cool way of taking the story on in a bit of a different direction.”

In the near term, fans can look forward to The Mandalorian and Grogu, scheduled for 2026. That’s followed by Shawn Levy’s Star Wars film starring Ryan Gosling, due in 2027.

Every Upcoming Star Wars Movie and TV Show

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At the 2023 Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm unveiled details about three upcoming feature films: a New Republic-era film directed by Dave Filoni, a Dawn of the Jedi project from James Mangold, and the previously mentioned New Jedi Order.

While many details may shift over time, one thing seems certain—Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker won’t be making a Force ghost appearance in any of them.