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Mark Hamill is “getting in shape to return to his role as Jedi knight Luke Skywalker” in Star Wars: Episode VII… maybe. Hamill isn’t talking. But his friend Robert Englund (yes, the actor who played Freddie Kreuger in A Nightmare on Elm Street) says “They’ve got Mark in the gym.”
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If so, good news! Some Star Wars fans are worried that Mark Hamill is not exactly in fighting trim. And yes, he does turn 62 next week.
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But an old Mark Hamill in any shape is bound to be a huge step up over young Jake Lloyd, Hayden Christensen, and any of the other “Darth Vader is just misunderstood” types that George Lucas (god bless him) tried to foist on us as heroes over the last 15 years.
(Aside: I’ll bet the very first thing said at the very first creative meeting after Disney bought the Star Wars franchise was, “Ladies and gentlemen, Darth Vader is officially evil again.” Followed by the popping of Champagne corks and spontaneous cheers and shouts of “Han shot first!” that rang through the halls and spilled out into Burbank and across the Hollywood hills.)
[Editor’s note, 2022: Sadly, this turned out not to be the case. Disney doubled down on the absurd family soap opera with the arrival of Kylo Ren.]
Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford in the original film Star Wars in 1977.
Carrie Fisher has also reportedly been asked to “slim down” for a return. That’s a command it’s hard to imagine Carrie Fisher accepting from anyone… but then again, it is Star Wars.
And they’ve got time: Episode VII isn’t expected to hit theaters until sometime in 2015. Let the original cast workouts begin!
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