Mark Hamill Walks Back Last Jedi Criticism: “I Should’ve Kept That to Myself”

Mark Hamill is setting the record straight about his feelings on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, admitting he regrets publicly criticizing the film’s portrayal of Luke Skywalker. In a recent interview on the Bullseye with Jesse Thorn podcast, Hamill called director Rian Johnson “one of the most gifted directors I’ve ever worked with” and clarified that his earlier comments were rooted in personal attachment to the character, not animosity toward the filmmaker.

Back in 2017, Hamill openly expressed discomfort with Luke’s arc in The Last Jedi, particularly the character’s decision to live in exile after his nephew, Ben Solo, turned to the dark side. At the time, Hamill argued that Luke would have “doubled down” in the face of adversity, rather than abandoning his Jedi ideals. However, he now acknowledges that going public with those concerns “might have colored things” and that he should have kept those opinions to himself.

To cope with the storyline, Hamill even created his own darker backstory, imagining Luke leaving the Jedi Order for love, only to suffer tragic personal loss—a narrative Johnson didn’t explore due to time constraints. Despite their creative differences, Hamill emphasized his commitment to honoring Johnson’s vision, stating that his disagreements were never personal. He concluded by reinforcing his respect for Johnson and describing The Last Jedi as “a great movie.”