Star Wars: Rian Johnson Jokes About Robot Hand Gag Appearing in 'The Last Jedi' Finale
The Last Jedi answered many questions Star Wars fans have been wondering for years, yet [...]
The Last Jedi answered many questions Star Wars fans have been wondering for years, yet writer/director Rian Johnson intentionally left some mysteries unsolved, allowing fans to continue to theorize about the saga's answers. When one fan asked Johnson and star Mark Hamill to solve an answer about Luke's robotic hand, the filmmaker joked about including a moment where Luke's hand falls to the ground after he becomes one with the Force.
The discussion began innocently enough, with one fan asking both Hamill and Johnson, "So Luke has a metal hand and passes into the Force. Does the hand go with him when he goes? Does he get a new hand? WHAT HAPPENS?"
The fan might have jokingly been nitpicky, but given that we saw both Obi-Wan and Luke's corporeal forms disappear while their clothes crumpled, the fan raised a good point about how the man-made hand seemingly wouldn't have crossed over to the other side with the rest of his body. Even if the robotic hand did cross over with Luke, he might not need it, as we've seen Force ghosts repair damage to their former bodies, like in the case of seeing a recuperated Anakin Skywalker despite the grave injuries he suffered while becoming Darth Vader.
Recognizing the good question, Hamill replied to the fan, "Me too. Let me know if you get an answer."
Seemingly wanting to provide his actor with an actual answer, Johnson joked, "In the edit room someone joke suggested that when he fades away his robot hand should clank down onto the rock. Might have undercut the moment. 😂"
This is only the latest example of both Johnson and Hamill embracing social media to interact with their fans, despite how much anger and hatred has been focused at the both of them for the depiction of Luke in The Last Jedi.
Earlier in the day, Johnson took another approach to addressing fans' criticisms about his film.
Some fans have taken issue with displays of Force abilities by Leia, who we had never seen use the Force, and Luke, who demonstrates a power we hadn't seen from any Jedi. Johnson has regularly attempted to explain how many Force abilities weren't explicitly detailed prior to seeing them on screen, with many fans refusing to accept this answer.
The filmmaker posted a series of photos, taking a copy of the 2010 book The Jedi Path from what appeared to be his own bookshelf. Johnson zoomed in on a section about "Advanced Force Techniques," which detailed how a Jedi could project the image of themselves for a short time, a technique Luke used in The Last Jedi.
Granted, the 2010 book technically takes place outside of the official Star Wars canon, but Johnson's citation of this ability will hopefully silence those who denounce the film for demonstrating this ability without hints of it anywhere else in Star Wars lore.
You can see Luke's robot hand in The Last Jedi, in theaters now.
[H/T Twitter, rianjohnson]