Star Wars: Luke Skywalker Would Have Died In George Lucas' Episode IX

Mark Hamill's Star Wars story came to an end in The Last Jedi, but there's still a chance he'll return as a Force Ghost in J.J. Abrams' Episode IX.

However, in a very different universe, Hamill definitely would've been starring in Star Wars Episode IX, directed by George Lucas. Speaking to IGN about the differences between Abrams and Rian Johnson, the actor went off-topic to reveal some details about Lucas' plan for the new trilogy closer:

"I happen to know that George didn't kill Luke until the end of [Episode] 9, after he trained Leia. Which is another thread that was never played upon [in The Last Jedi]."

It's well-known that Lucas did have plans for a new trilogy before selling Lucasfilm to Disney, who then decided not to use his ideas in their movies. The most recent word on it is that it would've focused on teenagers as the new heroes, but clearly still had the old guard featuring heavily.

Luke did train Leia as a Jedi in the Expanded Universe, but this is the first confirmation it would've made it into the movies, along with the news that the ninth instalment would've seen him killed off - something Johnson ultimately (and controversially) decided to do in Episode VIII. Hamill also compared Lucas' approach to that of the new trilogy under Kathleen Kennedy:

"George had an overall arc – if he didn't have all the details, he had sort of an overall feel for where the [sequel trilogy was] going – but this one's more like a relay race. You run and hand the torch off to the next guy, he picks it up and goes.

"Ryan didn't write what happens in 9 – he was going to hand it off to, originally, Colin Trevorrow and now J.J. [...] It's an ever-evolving, living, breathing thing. Whoever's onboard gets to play with the life-size action figures that we all are."

That's clear in the way The Last Jedi drops threads started in The Force Awakens, and it'll be interesting to see what happens next given it is now Abrams returning to the franchise. Hamill doesn't know whether or not Luke will return, but he has previously stated he'd be up for it, and there's certainly scope in the galaxy for him to come back as a Force Ghost.

Do you wish we'd seen George Lucas' sequel trilogy? Do you hope Luke returns in Episode IX? Share your thoughts down in the comments.