Star Wars: Mark Hamill Teases "Many Untold Stories" for Luke Prior to 'The Force Awakens'

Ever since Return of the Jedi seemingly concluded the journey of the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars fans have clamored to learn what adventures Luke got into in the years following his confrontation with his father. Various novels and comic books explored his journey, though these tales are no longer considered canon under Lucasfilm's purchase by Disney. Neither The Force Awakens nor The Last Jedi offered audiences answers about Luke's time between the films, but Mark Hamill teased there are many exciting encounters that could be explored in the future.

When a fan asked Hamill why there was no mention of Luke ever finding a romantic partner in any recent film, Hamill noted, "Maybe he did between [Return of the Jedi] & [The Force Awakens]. Many untold stories there."

Were Hamill to have been a fan of stories now considered "Legends," the actor would know that his character married a seemingly reformed believer in the Galactic Empire, Mara Jade. The two even had a child together, Ben Skywalker.

Despite the Legends storylines no longer being canon, various elements have found their way into canonical storylines, leading fans to wonder if Mara Jade could somehow be introduced in Episode IX or another Star Wars property.

The Last Jedi offered audiences a flashback to what made the character turn his back on the Jedi Order where he senses a darkness in his nephew, instinctively causing him to reach for his lightsaber. The film might not have gone into detail about the decades building to this film, though Hamill crafted his character's fictional backstory to help motivate his performance.

"I wrote lots and lots of scenarios," Hamill told Entertainment Weekly. "I made notes that he fell in love with a woman who was a widow and had this young child."

Sadly, this glimmer of hope was quickly extinguished.

"He left the Jedi to raise this young child and marry this woman," Hamill revealed. "And the child got hold of a lightsaber and accidentally killed himself."

The actor fully admitted that this scenario was far from official and is subject to change, but these tragedies inspired his approach to the character.

"It's nothing to do with the story, but when I think about gun violence and you read these tragic stories of kids getting hold of their parents' guns and killing a sibling or themselves, I mean, I had to go to really dark places to get where Luke needed to be for this story," Hamill explained of his motivations.

With Hamill set to return for Episode IX, there's the possibility that more flashbacks could help inform audiences to what the character experienced, though it's more likely that he'll appear merely as a Force ghost.

Episode IX lands in theaters in December of 2019

Do you hope to one day learn about what Luke endured in this time period? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

[H/T Twitter, HamillHimself]