Rian Johnson opens up about a terrifying ordeal with Mark Hamill on the set of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The 2017 film serves as the second part in the sequel trilogy series following 2015's The Force Awakens. Decidedly one of the most divisive films in the franchise, Star Wars: The Last Jedi was well-received by critics, but left many fans feeling disappointed due to the handling of Mark Hamill's iconic character, Luke Skywalker.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi saw a lot of backlash from some fans on the portrayal of what was once-known as the unwavering, fearless hero of the franchise, Luke Skywalker. Following a very jaded, fragile Skywalker, Star Wars: The Last Jedi saw him living as a hermit out of shame over his failed Jedi Academy and rejection of The Force, with Daisy Ridley's Rey forced to confront his delicate state and convince him to re-join the fight against the dark side. However, audiences felt underwhelmed with this version of Luke, calling out Johnson for portraying the once courageous leader as weak and an antithesis to whom they fell in love with, and they weren't the only ones who questioned the character arc.
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Five years later, in a new interview with Empire, Star Wars: The Last Jedi writer/director Rian Johnson opened up the terrifying Mark Hamill arguments he had about his vision for Luke. Johnson noted he understood where Hamill was coming from, as he had played Skywalker decades before, and that returning to it completely changed was a shock for Hamill. Read his full explanation of the tension on-set below, and how he feels about it now:
I mean… It was also ultimately… To the point where I… I’m choosing my words carefully, not to be diplomatic, but I don’t want to frame Mark’s experience of this through my lens because there’s no possible way I can ever put myself in the shoes of Mark, or Carrie [Fisher], having lived their entire lives being known as these characters. And what it’s like to play them first in their twenties, and then to come back and play them in these movies and have a script handed to you saying, ‘Well, it’s this now’… I can never fathom what that experience is like. It’s impossible. If Mark Hamill is talking to me about Luke Skywalker, I’m gonna listen to him, and I gotta think about that and argue with him and go back and forth. And genuinely plumb the depths of my soul and what I wrote and figure out if this seems right. Also, though, remembering that, obviously, he created the character on screen, but he’s Mark Hamill, he’s not literally Luke Skywalker. Luke Skywalker lives as a creation on that screen. He’s a myth. And as such, he only really lives in the minds of people who listen to and in various ways believe that myth. And I know that was me. So, it’s complicated. But I mean, the short answer to your question is, it was f—–g terrifying.
Despite backlash from the legendary actor who brought the character to life in the first place, Johnson still went forward with his vision for Skywalker in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, speaking to his faith in the film's overall theme. Although Hamill is everything fans have come to know and love about Skywalker, Johnson highlighted the fact that Hamill is not actually Skywalker, and that the greatness audiences know Luke for is a myth. Johnson played with this idea throughout Star Wars: The Last Jedi, forcing audiences to confront the reality of Star Wars, and that these characters, despite their abilities, are not immune to fragility and weakness.
It's clear that not everyone in the fan base was on board with this idea of a more realistic, humanized Skywalker, including Hamill himself, who previously revealed being initially hesitant about his Star Wars: The Last Jedi character arc. However, it's important to note that this also provided room for newer characters, such as Rey, Kelly Marie Tran's Rose Tico and John Boyega's Finn to be explored. While he has yet to return to the series since Star Wars: The Last Jedi hit the big screen, Johnson recently confirmed his new trilogy talks are still alive at Lucasfilm, leaving those who did side with his decisions hopeful to see more of his subversive storytelling.