We rarely have the chance to meet our heroes, let alone work with them, which is what happened between Ant Man franchise director Peyton Reed and Star Wars actor Mark Hamill. Fans were able to see Luke Skywalker’s triumphant return from Hamill in all his Jedi glory on the Disney + series The Mandalorian at the end of the second season. The opportunity should come during the 2017 sequels The last Jedi, but no saber collided between the professor and his former student Kylo Ren in the climate battle.
Since The Mandalorian occurred not long after the events of Return of the Jedi (1983), the stars lined up for the Jedi to return in their X-Wing during the climax that revealed the Grogu master who saved the day. Instead of opting for practical effects and heavy makeup, the series opted to use anti-aging CG with Hamill giving the voice of his younger self in the episode “The Rescue”. Reed directed the epic episode and tweeted to Hamill about how much of an inspiration he was growing up following with a scene from the actor on his speeder taken at the time of A new hope (1977).
“Dear @HamillHimself,” Reed began. “When I was a kid, this photo was hanging on my bedroom wall. STAR WARS, and Luke Skywalker in particular, meant a lot to me. Some things never change. It was an honor and a dream that it became a reality to work with you @themandalorian Thank you. #MTFBWY “Hamill replied the next day. “Dear @MrPeytonReed, I am very grateful to have had the unexpected opportunity to revisit my character when he was still a symbol of hope and optimism. His guaranteed direction and kindness were a crucial element in the experience and mean more to me than I can say. . #ThankYOU “The actor also showed a similar appreciation for The Mandalorian The creator Jon Favreau and executive co-producer Dave Filoni for the chance to revive your character once again. He also responded to co-star Ming-Na Wen, who plays bounty hunter Fennec Shand. Both stations The Mandalorian are available for streaming on Disney +.
Dear @MrPeytonReed,
I am very grateful to have had the unexpected opportunity to revisit my character when he was still a symbol of hope and optimism.
Your guaranteed direction and kindness were a crucial element in the experience and mean more to me than I can say.#Thanks🙏 https://t.co/yNngOQdJRS
– Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) January 16, 2021