After making a silent cameo at the end of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Mark Hamill’s older Luke Skywalker was front and center in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Many fans were excited to see the actor portray the Jedi again decades after the original trilogy, but not everyone liked what they saw. Among the many reasons The Last Jedi became arguably the most polarizing Star Wars movie was the way Luke was written. Some viewers were upset that the once-idealistic hero had become a jaded cynic. Rather than enthusiastically jump into the fight, the elder Skywalker had a grizzled weariness about him. Those traits didn’t resonate with every Star Wars fan, but they certainly clicked with The Long Walk director Francis Lawrence.
In an interview with Screen Rant, the director explained why he cast Hamill as The Major in The Long Walk, citing Hamill’s work in the polarizing sequel trilogy. “I was trying to come up with somebody different, and then I thought of Mark, I think because of his work in the more recent Star Wars movies,” Lawrence said. “There was a sort of weariness to him that I really liked for The Major, and he had a gravitas that I really liked. I also knew that he had done a ton of amazing voice work, so he had this real command over the kind of characters that he could play and the way he could sound.”
The Long Walk Is Generating Positive Buzz Thanks to Its Performances
Though The Long Walk doesn’t open in theaters until September 12th, the film is already generating positive buzz. Early reactions to The Long Walk have praised the adaptation for its brutal tone, poignant themes, and performances from the cast. Many people have particularly singled out stars Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson (who portray two of the young men taking part in the titular long walk), but Hamill has also been cited as a highlight. His major is an intimidating presence; the role is one of the scariest Hamill has played this side of the Joker.
Among the film’s supporters is King himself. Lawrence and screenwriter JT Mollner noted earlier this year that King “seemed very pleased” after watching The Long Walk. At one point, King’s novel was considered to be unfilmable, so it’s a considerable achievement that the big-screen adaptation has impressed so many people. Several of King’s works have been memorably brought to life in films and TV shows, and The Long Walk looks poised to stake its place on that list.
Based on the snippets of The Major seen in trailers for The Long Walk, it’s safe to say the character is a far cry from Luke Skywalker. But it’s also easy to see why The Last Jedi inspired Lawrence to cast Hamill. The Luke that Rey meets on Ahch-To has a roughness to him. He’s been through a lot, and he uses that knowledge and experience to challenge Rey, pushing her as she embarks on the next step of her journey. The Major is a much more twisted variation on that, overseeing the long walk and challenging the participants to realize their potential until there’s one winner left standing.
Other than the general world weariness, it’ll be exciting to see what kind of gravitas Hamill brought to the part of The Major. In The Last Jedi, Hamill displayed impressive dramatic range, tapping into the guilt Luke felt to craft a well-rounded, human performance. Based on Lawrence’s comments, Hamill’s Major should be much more than a one-dimensional antagonist terrorizing the young men on the long walk. There will hopefully be some depth to the character, and if The Long Walk clicks with general audiences as much as the early buzz suggests, they’ll have the divisive sequel trilogy to thank.
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