George Lucas' Abandoned 'Star Wars: Episode 9' Ending Revealed By Mark Hamill
Mark Hamill revealed that Luke Skywalker was supposed to meet his demise in Star Wars: Episode IX, contrary to what happened to the Jedi Master in Star: Wars: The Last Jedi.
Luke's Death
Hamill talked about George Lucas's abandoned storyline for Luke Skywalker in a recent interview, where he revealed the ending to the character's original story in the canon. The Jedi Master was not supposed to die in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Lucas, who created the original Star Wars trilogy, intended to kill the iconic character at the end of Episode IX.
"I happen to know that George didn't kill Luke until the end of [Episode] IX, after he trained Leia. Which is another thread that was never played upon [in The Last Jedi]," Hamill tells IGN, when asked to explain the different approach to the character between directors J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson.
The actor's revelation confirms that Lucas planned all along to end the Skywalker saga with the Luke's death.
Hamill's revelation contradicts what happens to Luke Skywalker and his sister General Leia in Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The filmmaker killed the Jedi Master at the end of the film following his heroic move to save what remains of the Resistance. Luke Force-projected himself to Crait and battled his evil nephew Kylo Ren, living him physically extinguished. He eventually became one with The Force at the end of the film.
Meanwhile, Leia save herself using The Force after the First Order blew up their ship and she floated into space. She showed that she has powers of The Force in Star Wars: The Last Jedi ahead of her Jedi Knight training in the since-discarded canon from Lucas's Extended Universe.
Skywalker Saga
Apparently, Disney scrapped Lucas's plans for the Skywalker saga so now the character's story becomes more of a relay, according to Hamill. Whoever gets to helm the sequel has creative freedom to continue the Jedi Master's story.
"You run and hand the torch off to the next guy, he picks it up and goes. Rian didn't write what happens in IX - he was going to hand it off to, originally, Colin Trevorrow and now J.J. [...] It's an ever-evolving, living, breathing thing. Whoever's onboard gets to play with the life-size action figures that we all are," Hamill adds.
As for Hamill, the actor admitted that he has no idea if he is returning to Star Wars: Episode IX. However, he is open to portraying a frightening Force ghost in the sequel.
