"There's just such a huge gap between Return of the Jedi and Force Awakens - I had to really contemplate that," he explains. "I said ‘hey, how did I go from being the most optimistic, positive character to this cranky, suicidal man who wants people to get off his island?’"
"It was a radical change, but I think sometimes being pushed out of your comfort zone is a good thing," Hamill adds. "Although a part of me said to Rian, ‘but you know, a Jedi would never give up’. My concept of the character was that even if I chose the New Hitler thinking he was the New Hope, yeah I'd feel terrible, but I wouldn't secret myself on an island and then turn off the Force."
The actor's remarks echo those of Star Wars fans, many of whom would like to remake The Last Jedi in order to give Luke Skywalker a proper sendoff (sorry, but that's never going to happen). Hamill, meanwhile, is just disappointed that he didn't get to show off the Jedi Master's impressive powers.
"J.J. said, ‘Oh and by the way I'll probably put in a couple of floating boulders to show the Force emanating from you, as strong as it is.’ So I'm thinking for VIII, I'm going to have Force Lightning coming out of every orifice of my body. You know, lifting an eyebrow and toppling AT-ATs like dominoes. That would have been fun to be that powerful! Plus, I wouldn't have to do much. They wouldn't have to teach me choreography to do lightsaber duels. I'd just have to do this,” Hamill points across the room, “and let the special effects guy do everything."
