Is Mark Hamill Once Again Teasing ‘Star Wars’ Fans By Hinting At His Future Unemployment?

Mark Hamill loves trolling Star Wars fans. Whether he’s wishing John Boyega a happy birthday, comparing Daisy Ridley to his own daughter, or pondering Luke Skywalker’s sexuality, the 64-year-old actor doesn’t mind stirring up the rumor mill. In fact, there’s a good chance he enjoys dropping random sound bites here and there — just so he can sit back and watch the social media machine latch onto, spread, and multiply his few words into multi-page hot takes of internet-y goodness. Hence the senior Star Wars: Episode VIII cast member’s pseudo admission on Sunday that the saga’s next entry will be his last.

On Sunday, Hamill sat down with Ray Davies of the English rock band The Kinks for a conversation about music and pop culture in Highgate, London. Since the event was geared towards The Kinks’ contribution to Britain’s ’60s music scene, most of Davies and Hamill’s discussion revolved around the band. However, Star Wars unsurprisingly came up at one point, and a Den of Geek reader confirmed a line by Hamill suggesting Episode VIII might be his last:

Hamill told the crowd that “I finish Episode VIII, and then I’m out of work.”

Does this mean Hamill won’t reprise the role of Luke Skywalker in Episode IX? That, like his fellow legacy cast member Harrison Ford in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, he’d guide Rey (Ridley) and Finn (Boyega) for much of the film before ending his story arc for good? No and no, as the actor might not have anything lined up immediately after the next movie — hence his being “out of work.” Seeing as how Force Awakens‘ new batch of protagonists are supposed to be the main players in this Star Wars saga, however, such a move by LucasFilm wouldn’t be all that surprising.

Not that Hamill’s latest troll game is bothering him at all. He’s too busy giving people sh*t for ignoring the event’s no photography rule.

(Via Den of Geek)