Mark Hamill sent praise and thanks to the team behind “The Mandalorian” for bringing him back as Luke Skywalker for a cameo in season 2…
“The Mandalorian” featured many twists, turns and special appearances during season 2 but none bigger than the closing moments in the final episode.
As Mando and his friends awaited imminent death from a garrison of Dark Troopers sent to kill them, an X-wing fighter appeared out of nowhere and before long a cloaked figure was wielding a green lightsaber that cut through the droid army. It was a show of real power and force as a Jedi knight answered the call made by Grogu in hopes of reuniting with more of his people.
After shredding the Dark Troopers, the cloaked Jedi revealed himself to be Luke Skywalker, who was five years removed from the events in “Return of the Jedi,” and now the most powerful Jedi in existence. He ultimately gathered Baby Yoda to join his school where new Jedi were being trained but that brief appearance left “Star Wars” fans feeling overjoyed that Hamill returned to the role he made famous.
It turns out Hamill was just as excited as he expressed his feelings on returning as Luke Skywalker for “The Mandalorian” in a move orchestrated by series creator Jon Favreau and executive producer Dave Filoni.
“Sometimes the greatest gifts are the most unexpected and something you never realized you wanted until it was given,” Hamill wrote on Twitter with a photo of Luke Skywalker from the episode.
Sometimes the greatest gifts are the most unexpected and something you never realized you wanted until it was given.#ThankYouJonAndDave ???? pic.twitter.com/4nNjSvbvIN
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) December 30, 2020
Hamill also tagged “Thank you Jon and Dave” in the post as an homage to the creative team behind “The Mandalorian.”
Of course, Luke Skywalker’s appearance was undoubtedly a welcome moment for Hamill and fans alike after the character died in “The Last Jedi” under less than satisfying circumstances. In fact, Hamill had previously expressed his displeasure with director Rian Johnson, who has faced extreme criticism for the decisions he made with that movie not the least of which was how he altered Luke Skywalker as a character before eventually writing him out of the franchise.
“I pretty much fundamentally disagree with every choice you’ve made for this character,” Hamill recounted when talking about a conversation he had with Johnson on set.
Hamill later apologized for making the comment but he certainly wasn’t alone when it came to the reaction Johnson received after “The Last Jedi’ finally landed in theaters.
While this new appearance from Hamill as a de-aged Luke Skywalker doesn’t give the character a different ending, it definitely appears to have left a much better impression on everybody involved.
“The Mandalorian” is currently available on Disney+.