It’s been an incredibly long year for most of us — between the ongoing pandemic, financial difficulties, loneliness, and other struggles, 2020 hasn’t been a banner twelve months. Fortunately, there’s always a few bright spots, even amid the toughest seasons of life.
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For Star Wars fans, one of those bright spots was Mark Hamill’s reprisal of his iconic Luke Skywalker role in The Mandalorian Season 2 finale episode, “Chapter 16: The Rescue.”
Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni’s hit Disney+ streaming series has been delighting Star Wars fans since November 12, 2019, but the return of Luke Skywalker was a special highlight for long-time lovers of the franchise. This evening, Mark Hamill thanked the showrunner duo on Twitter.
Hamill shared a photo of Skywalker — a CGI de-aged version of the actor around the Star Wars: Episode VI – The Return of the Jedi (1983) era — wielding his green lightsaber, bursting onto the bridge of Moff Gideon’s (Giancarlo Esposito) Imperial cruiser to save Grogu (AKA The Child AKA Baby Yoda), Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), Cara Dune (Gina Carano), Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), and Koska Reeves (Mercedes Varnado/Sasha Banks) from certain death.
He captioned the image:
Sometimes the greatest gifts are the most unexpected and something you never realized you wanted until it was given. #ThankYouJonAndDave
Sometimes the greatest gifts are the most unexpected and something you never realized you wanted until it was given.#ThankYouJonAndDave 🙏 pic.twitter.com/4nNjSvbvIN
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) December 30, 2020
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Hamill, who is extremely active on social media, immediately started getting responses from fans. Keith Moore, Jr. wrote:
Thank you for bringing me back to my childhood. Thank you for being the greatest hero of all time
Thank you for bringing me back to my childhood. Thank you for being the greatest hero of all time pic.twitter.com/V0vcQoncAk
— Keith N Moore Jr (@KeithZylla) December 30, 2020
Thank You too Mark for appearing was such an emotional scene to watch reminded me of Empire Strikes Back in so many ways. #ThankYouJonAndDave
Thank You too Mark for appearing was such an emotional scene to watch reminded me of Empire Strikes Back in so many ways. #ThankYouJonAndDave
— Lenny De Griffa (@LennyDeGriffa) December 30, 2020
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Another Hamill follower, Jimmy, shared a heartfelt message with the iconic Star Wars actor:
I am still ecstatic about your return, Mr. Hamill! I hope to meet you one day and thank you in person for all that you’ve done.
I am still ecstatic about your return, Mr. Hamill! I hope to meet you one day and thank you in person for all that you’ve done. ❤️
— jimmyjims (@jimmyjimsss) December 30, 2020
And thanks to you Mark, thanks you for everything and for being us such not with your character. Because YES emotion are to be shared with all. Love you Mark, Dave and Jon! #MayTheForceBeWithYou
And thanks to you Mark, thanks you for everything and for being us such not with your character. Because YES emotion are to be shared with all. Love you Mark, Dave and Jon! #MayTheForceBeWithYou
— Carlos Avendaño (@Lingception) December 31, 2020
You truly saved 2020
you truly saved 2020
— . (@kateofbish) December 30, 2020
Hamill has long embraced the Star Wars fan community, even making more subtle cameo appearances in numerous Star Wars movies and shows, including his popular role as the voice of a droid bartender in The Mandalorian Season 1!
There has been no word on whether or not Hamill will return to Star Wars as Luke Skywalker. He last played the famous Jedi (at his current age) in the final Skywalker Saga film, Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
His original trilogy co-stars, Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia/General Leia Organa) also appeared in the sequel trilogy. Ford has expressed no interest in reprising his Star Wars role and Fisher, tragically, passed away in December 2016.