Drama is unfolding in the Star Wars fandom and it’s all because of Mark Hamill, an unauthorized YouTube series, and the use of AI.
AI is controversial in the film industry at the best of times, but especially when it’s used to recreate an actor without their consent. That was one of the many issues at the heart of the recent SAG-AFTRA Strike, and multiple actors have shared mixed feelings on the practice.
That’s why some fans were unnerved by the recent announcement of an unofficial Star Wars series. Produced by the YouTube channel Star Wars Theory, this promised to cover Luke Skywalker’s adventures into the Heir of the Empire trilogy.
I’m developing a new project, on top of Vader episode 2 for 2024. An episodic series. This will be a deep fake animation of Luke Skywalker’s adventures into Heir to the Empire. First episode will be 8 minutes with many more to come. It’ll be out in a bit.
Soon after the series was announced, fans criticized the creator for not asking Mark Hamill’s permission before using his likeness. “Super disrespectful of the actor to not get permission to use his likeness. You would have done that if you respected his work,” one commenter wrote.
Another commented: “Did you just forget that SAG-AFTRA went on strike for many months because of the illegal use of AI deepfakes? You could have used any actor who comes somewhat close to resembling Luke. But no, spit in the face of the actors who just fought hard to keep their jobs.”
Fans soon sought the opinion of Mark Hamill himself. The actor – who’s portrayed Luke since Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) hit theaters nearly 50 years ago – was informed of the project over X, where one user asked: “Did this YouTuber ask for your permission to use your likeness for an AI deepfake in his YouTube series?”
Hamill swiftly responded with a blunt: “No.”
no
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) December 27, 2023
Mild though Hamill’s response was, the YouTuber subsequently returned with another video titled “Mark Hamill Doesn’t Like Me? – Well This Sucks.”
It seems like this drama was (as is often the case in the Star Wars fandom) blown out of proportion, with Hamill later clarifying that he isn’t mad at the YouTuber for creating the series. However, it does highlight an issue that’s rife with the industry right now.
Despite recent clarifications following the SAG-AFTRA Strike, the use of AI to unofficially continue or twist existing copyrighted stories is becoming increasingly common across platforms like YouTube and TikTok. While this incident may have been relatively minor, it seems inevitable that we’ll see more of these scenarios in the coming years – meaning the likes of Lucasfilm, Hamill, and other studios and actors may need to crack down harder in future.
How do you feel about content creators using AI to create new content for existing franchises? Let us know in the comments!