Spoiler Alert - Luke Skywalker Dies?

Like many kids in the late 1970's and early 1980's, I was a huge fan of Star Wars. I would comb through the toy section of the Sears catalog on visits to Grandma's house and dream of owning all those wonderful Star Wars toys . I suppose when it comes down to it, those first three movies may be my favorite movies to date. And for that reason, whenever the media talks about anything related to Star Wars, it gets my attention.

Recently, a news article was released where Mark Hamill (AKA Luke Skywalker, for those of you who just fell off a turnip truck), alluded to his possible demise in the next Star Wars movie (Episode VIII). Essentially, Hamill stated that when the filming for Episode VIII wrapped out, he would be "out of a job". Granted his comments were ambiguous, but this got me to thinking. Will I miss him?

I admit I was a little taken aback when Han Solo was killed off in Episode VII. I guess I always liked his character the best. Perhaps given the age of these actors, and the fact that Disney is trying to reach a new generation of fans, killing them off is understandable. I was in love with Princess Lea back in the day, but I am thinking they probably should have killed her off in Episode VII as well (I wasn't real impressed with her role in the film). So that leaves Luke.

Thinking back over Mark Hamill’s career post Star Wars, can you remember anything notable aside from his guest appearance on the Muppet Show ? It is our understanding that he has stayed busy attending fan conferences and lending his voice to a number of cartoons, but what else has he done? Perhaps he got type-casted and Hollywood was afraid to use him. Or, perhaps he really isn't that great of an actor? No offense to Mark. In hindsight, I still think he was the right choice as Luke, but I guess I am not too upset at the prospect of Episode VIII being his last film. I reserve the right to change my mind, of course, but I guess I agree with critics on Episode VII. The film was at its best when the new cast was being featured. Sure, seeing the old crew was nostalgic and fun, but limiting their time on screen may be the best path forward.

If you want to read the Fox News article reference above, follow THIS LINK ,  If you want to see a short clip of Luke on the Muppet Show, check it out:<p>