Star Wars 9: Mark Hamill Wants To Play ‘Frightening’ Force Ghost

In the event Mark Hamill reprises Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode IX, he wants to put a new twist on the classic Force ghost trope. As many know by now, the legendary Jedi Master died in The Last Jedi, sacrificing his life in a heroic moment so the surviving members of the Resistance could escape. In the character’s final scene, Luke became one with the Force – like Obi-Wan and Yoda before him – illustrating that he could return for the finale in spirit form if that’s what director J.J. Abrams has in mind.

Force ghosts have appeared throughout the films, so deceased teachers could share some more wisdom with their prized pupils. It’s something the series has featured frequently, so Hamill is of the mind that it’s time to mix up the formula and make it fresh. An idea he has is to embrace the typically terrifying nature of ghosts.

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In an interview with Radio Times, Hamill was asked about his possible Star Wars future. When discussing Luke as a Force ghost, he had an interesting pitch that definitely breaks from the established mold:

“Well I thought, if he’s a Force Ghost I’d love to see him used in a way that hasn’t been done before. I mean let’s use the word ghost! That implies that it’s frightening. What if he… even in some other form, I think it’d be funny… well, I don’t want to give it away. I do have ideas; most of them are so terrible that they don’t consider them at all! But like I say, I don’t know if I am going to be back.”

The sequel trilogy hasn’t been shy about introducing new Force powers and concepts, so it wouldn’t be out of the question to put a different spin on Force ghosts. It could be interesting to see Luke haunt his nephew Kylo Ren from the afterlife, following through on his final words in Last Jedi. This seemingly would not be in contradiction of established canon rules; though only light side users can manifest as spirits, there’s nothing definitive that says dark side users can’t see them. Being tormented by a Skywalker poltergeist would also be fitting of Ben Solo’s character, since he’s defined by his inner turmoil. Kylo is perpetually torn between his aspiration to be the galaxy’s ultimate villain and his family. That choice seemed to have been made by the time The Last Jedi ended, but he’ll likely still be conflicted.

Of course, this all depends on the plan for Episode IX, and even when the film starts production in July, the general public may not know if Hamill is involved with the film. The ever-secretive Lucasfilm kept the lid shut on Yoda’s Last Jedi scene, so they could look to preserve a similar surprise here (especially with Abrams’ mystery box in place again). However, many people presume Hamill will be back for Star Wars 9, so the studio might be better-served by making an official announcement on this matter up front, rather than dragging out an “is he or isn’t he?” game for months. It’d be more fun to speculate how a Luke ghost would be implemented instead of wonder if he’ll be there.

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