Watch Mark Hamill reject and then accept The Last Jedi’s version of Luke Skywalker in 1 minute
One of the more frequently heard criticisms being hurled at The Last Jedi is that writer-director Rian Johnson got the character of Luke Skywalker all wrong. This, in addition to some other histrionic complaints, led a small group of “fans” to do ridiculous things like craft drug-induced petitions to have the film stricken from the canon. Those who enjoyed the new direction in which the film took these classic characters, may be surprised to hear the Mark Hamill himself agrees with the critics, at least on their assessment of Luke. They may also be interested to know that he was able to get over it and enjoy the movie, because he’s an adult.
“I said, ‘Jedis don’t give up.’ I mean, even if he had a problem, he would maybe take a year to try and regroup but if he made a mistake he would try to right that wrong,” said Hamill in one of many interviews he did for the film. He is, of course, referring to the fact that, at the beginning of The Last Jedi, Luke has not only given up on the Rebel’s cause but has given up on connecting with the Force at all because he had a momentary crisis of conscience decades previously. “So right there, [Rian and I] had a fundamental difference.”
This interview, and others like it, have been making the rounds recently, as Star Wars fans who feel betrayed by the new Disney trilogy frantically attempt to prove that The Last Jedi is more than not their cup of tea and is, in fact, objectively bad. Prior to release these were taken on face value, but now, they’re proof that even Luke Skywalker himself is outraged. But all you have to do is listen to Hamill complete his answer to see that this controversy has been constructed for controversy’s sake.
“It’s not my story anymore. It’s somebody else’s story…I came to really believe that Rian was the exact man they needed for this job,” Hamill continued, showing that, despite his misgivings, he had faith in Johnson as a director to make the movie that needed to be made for a new generation of fans. Despite having spent decades in close association with both the films and their fanbase, Hamill is able to acknowledge his issues with the new films while also granting them their right to exist and be enjoyed. If only we could all learn to be as wise as Master Luke.