For decades, even after the original trilogy ended, Luke Skywalker has been at the heart of Star Wars. He’s the saga’s biggest hero, the everyman with whom every fan could relate and root for. And while the Skywalker saga expanded to be more than his story, he (along with his father, Anakin) is someone the franchise has always returned to. Whether it was the old Expanded Universe, aka Legends, the sequel trilogy, or the Disney+ TV shows, Luke has always been brought back, no matter how many times his story has ostensibly ended.
After he turned up to rescue Grogu in The Mandalorian Season 2 finale, it seemed like there might yet be greater plans for the Jedi, but that hasn’t proved to be the case. The Child left Luke to go back to Din Djarin in The Book of Boba Fett, and Skywalker himself appeared as a kid in Obi-Wan Kenobi, but there’s been little else. The franchise may finally be growing beyond him as it gears up for its return to theaters for the first time since 2019, with multiple characters ready to fill the Luke Skywalker void in the saga.
The clearest, most direct replacement for Luke is the one he himself helped train: Rey (Daisy Ridley). She is the new Jedi hero who can not only lead the next generation of characters, but also help delight and inspire a new generation of fans as well, building on the sequel trilogy (which may have been divisive, but was an entry point into the franchise for many, and that value cannot be discounted when it comes to Rey’s future. She has the Skywalker name, and, assuming her movie does eventually happen, will be fulfilling Luke’s ambition of building a new Jedi Order.
Alongside Rey could be Ryan Gosling’s new hero in Star Wars: Starfighter. While the character reportedly won’t be Force-sensitive and has a bit of Han Solo rogue coolness about him (though that’s also just sort of inherent with Gosling, to be fair), there’s also enough to suggest he could be taking on a Luke-esque role for the franchise. That is: an everyman hero who goes on a daring adventure, a hotshot pilot, and crucially, someone who could become one of the faces of the franchise post-sequels, with this taking place five years after The Rise of Skywalker.
Finally, another new face of the franchise is someone who keeps his own hidden behind a mask: The Mandalorian himself, Din Djarin. He, alongside Grogu, is one of the biggest characters of the Disney era, capturing a level of popularity and cultural cache that’s previously been reserved for the likes of Luke Skywalker. If The Mandalorian and Grogu is a smash hit, then it’ll only cement his place as the saga’s crowning new hero, presumably sparking more sequels. And as someone who’ll fight for what’s right and those closest to him, despite the risks, he’s following in the footsteps of Luke himself.
Star Wars having multiple characters who can step up and lead the franchise, like Luke Skywalker before them, is a good thing, because the saga cannot keep relying on the past to shape its future. Luke has been one of my favorite fictional characters ever since I was a little kid, obsessively wearing out the original trilogy on VHS, and I’d gladly watch more stories with him in… if there are great stories worth telling. But it also needs to invest in its new characters who can help define the next 10-20 years (or even more).
Luke’s arc, for the most part, is done. We’ve seen his greatest feats and his lowest moments, his triumphs and his tragedies, and while there’s probably still room for things with his fledgling Jedi Order or involving him in the fight against Grand Admiral Thrawn, there’s more untapped potential with the other characters. By keeping him out of the picture and thrusting others into the theatrical spotlight, it can fully establish them as the leads for a new generation, which will be vital if the saga is to keep on surviving.
As it stands, there are no plans to see Luke Skywalker on-screen again – and it seems unlikely Mark Hamill will return to the role. The actor recently said: “The way I feel is I had my time, and I love what they’re doing with The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. They asked me to do brief cameos when Luke was at the height of his powers. I told George it’s almost like if you did this for James Bond — Episode One, he’s a kid dreaming about the future and hearing about secret agents. In Episode Two, he trains to be a secret agent. In Episode Three, he earns his license to kill — and then you stop. No Dr. No, no From Russia With Love, no Goldfinger. Luke has a beginning and an end, but no middle. That’s just how it played out. I had my time. They’re doing great, and I wish them all the best.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean we won’t see Luke again, though. Star Wars has previously brought him back with a combination of Hamill, stand-ins, and CGI, but it could go more fully into the recast route if it wanted him to be involved in a bigger capacity, such as if they really did want him involved in the battle against Thrawn, which seems set to culminate in a movie of its own. That would be controversial in its own right, given the stature of the character, but could be the best path to giving him a proper future. Otherwise, though, it seems like Luke will finally be allowed to rest… for now.
The Mandalorian and Grogu will be released in theaters on May 22nd, 2026. Star Wars: Starfighter will be released on May 28th, 2027. All previous Star Wars movies are streaming on Disney+.
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