Mark Hamill almost turned down Luke's return in Star Wars sequels, until Harrison Ford signed on

Mark Hamill, who famously portrayed Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, admitted he was initially hesitant to reprise his iconic role in Disney's sequels, believing it would be impossible to "catch lightning in a bottle twice."

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hamill shared his concerns, saying he had "real reservations" about returning and doubted Disney's ability to recapture the magic of the original trilogy. He even assumed he wouldn’t be the only original cast member to turn down a return—until he learned that Harrison Ford would be reprising his role as Han Solo.

“I thought it would be a mistake,” Hamill explained. “You can’t catch lightning in a bottle twice. They should focus on a new generation of characters. I thought, ‘Well, Harrison isn’t going to do it anyway.’ You could see his irritation with having to constantly talk about Han Solo."

But once Hamill saw Ford’s decision to return, he felt compelled to do the same. “I felt like I had been drafted,” he said. “If I’m the only one who says no, I’ll be the most hated man in nerd-dom.”

Hamill went on to appear in all three films of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, starting with a cameo in The Force Awakens, a major role in The Last Jedi, and a shorter appearance in Rise of Skywalker.

The actor also returned to the role for Disney+’s The Mandalorian, where his character was digitally de-aged but Hamill was physically on-set. He explained his motivation for this return, citing Luke’s character arc as incomplete. “Luke had a beginning and an end, but there was no middle,” he said. “We never saw Luke as a Master Jedi at the peak of his powers. So when I got the chance, I thought, ‘This is wonderful.’”

Hamill praised Mandalorian creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, saying they "get Star Wars" and speak the same language as George Lucas, in contrast to the sequels.

Reflecting on his career, Hamill recalled being told that his role as Luke had left him typecast when he auditioned for Amadeus but didn’t land the part. Despite the disappointment, Hamill was philosophical about it: “I don’t have to be a leading man. I’m happy just to be a working stiff. That’s what I was for the longest time.”

Hamill concluded, “I didn’t want to be Tom Cruise. By those standards, I’ve succeeded far beyond my expectations.”