With too long to go until Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: Episode VIII becomes our favorite Star Wars movie since the last Star Wars movie, we’ll take whatever Jedi simple tricks and nonsense we can get. Amateur theorists have been working overtime for months with crazy conjectures about Supreme Leader Snoke and Boba Fett, Rey and Anakin Skywalker, Kylo Ren and the good guys, and now Mark Hamill has shaved his beard, and what does it mean???
It probably means he wanted to get rid of his hermit beard, but it’s how Hamill phrased the tweet that has Star Wars fans flocking to Wookieepedia.
Haven't seen my chin since May '15, so #FarewellFacialFur & #ByeByeBeard (at least til #EpisodeIX) @popculturequest pic.twitter.com/gaScz1okk6
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) August 30, 2016
“…at least til #EpisodeIX.” Hamill is essentially saying that Luke Skywalker will still be alive until at least Episode IX (not to be confused with Episode XCIX, featuring the 87th iteration of the Death Star). That seemed likely — Episode IX director Colin Trevorrow has said he’s excited to “find new places to take” Luke and Leia — but now we have confirmation. His followers are thrilled.
https://twitter.com/fernandoandross/status/770677711660519424
Oh thank God! That means you survive #EpisodeVIII!
— Umapagan Ampikaipakan (@umapagan) August 30, 2016
VIII isnt even out yet and you got me hyped on IX
— kaz (@beatlesbruh) August 30, 2016
What if Twitter had been around when Hamill got into his infamous car accident in 1977, or even worse, when the Star Wars Holiday Special was released a year later? You think shaving a beard gets Twitter into a frenzy? Imagine what the speculation over Hamill’s face, and why it was so covered with layers of makeup, would have looked like. #ByeByeMakeup
