Mark Hamill Regrets Voicing Negative Thoughts About The Last Jedi

Star Wars legend Mark Hamill humbled himself on Tuesday when he clarified some negative comments he made about The Last Jedi.

Hamill took to Twitter to retweet a set of subtitled interview stills that show him stating that though he initially "had trouble accepting" what The Last Jedi writer-director Rian Johnson had done with his character, Luke Skywalker, in the film, he eventually came to realize that he was wrong and that he believes "being pushed out of your comfort zone is a good thing." The actor wrote in the caption of that retweet that he should have refrained from expressing his uncertainties and commenting on Johnson's creative vision. 

"I regret voicing my doubts and insecurities in public," Hamill wrote out to his more than two million Twitter followers. "Creative differences are a common element of any project but usually remain private. All I wanted was to make good movie. I got more than that–Rian Johnson made an all-time GREAT one!" As always, the actor added a situation-appropriate hashtag to the end of his tweet: #HumbledHamill.

Hamill had previously gone on the record to indicate that he admires Johnson, but his thoughts about what might happen with Luke in the new Skywalker saga episode didn't match up with Johnson's in the slightest.

"I said to Rian, 'Jedis don't give up.' I mean, even if [Luke] had a problem, he would maybe take a year to try and regroup. But if he made a mistake, he would try and right that wrong. So, right there, we had a fundamental difference," Hamill said in a recent interview. "But it's not my story anymore. It's somebody else's story, and Rian needed me to be a certain way to make the ending effective."

The actor uttered a highly controversial string of words shortly thereafter, stating that the Luke Skywalker fans see in The Last Jedi isn't "his" Luke Skywalker. Hamill mentioned that Luke would never say that "the Jedi must end," and that that is the "crux of [his] problem." 

"Luke would never say that. I'm sorry. Well, in this version. See, I'm talking about the George Lucas Star Wars. This is the next generation of Star Wars, so I almost had to think of Luke as another character. Maybe he's Jake Skywalker. He's not my Luke Skywalker," said Hamill. "But I had to do what Rian wanted me to do because it serves the story well. But, listen, I still haven't accepted it completely."

In a separate discussion with ScreenRant, Hamill reiterated that he didn't agree with Johnson's vision. However, he was sure to mention that he understood Johnson's train of logic when it came to Luke's characterization in The Last Jedi.

"I think when I read [the script], it's like the movie is just mind-bogglingly complex. It's challenging. It's hilarious in parts. It's suspenseful. It's dark and somber. I'm holding the fort down on the dark and somber. But... the most shocking thing I read was [that] it's time for the Jedi to end," Hamill said. "I understood Luke's regret at being wrong about who the Chosen One was, and he feels responsible for creating potentially the next Darth Vader, and hey, I mean, ruining [his] nephew's life. [I also understood] not perceiving that he was going to the Dark Side until too late, so that weighs heavily on him."

While Hamill may have some personal gripes with The Last Jedi, he's never explicitly bashed the film or its cast and crew. And Johnson doesn't seem to mind Hamill's remarks either; in fact, he's stated that discussion from fans and critics alike about what they enjoyed and disliked about the movie is essential for the future of the franchise. "The goal is never to divide or make people upset, but I do think the conversations that are happening were going to have to happen at some point if Star Wars is going to grow, move forward and stay vital," Johnson tweeted a few days after The Last Jedi opened in theaters. 

The Last Jedi recently won the Christmas weekend box office, and is on track to continue breaking records in the coming weeks.