Skip to main content

After The Rise of Skywalker, most Star Wars fans agreed the saga needed a new direction. Even the movie’s cast admitted the series should slow down and rethink its next move. Fans got that new take in the Western-inspired aesthetic of The Mandalorian. But as the show moves closer to the movies’ mythos, some believe there’s only one logical choice for Luke Skywalker.

Mark Hamill in 'Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope'
Mark Hamill in ‘Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope’ | Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images

‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 is tying the Disney+ show in with the movies

When The Mandalorian hit Disney+ in 2019, the series felt only barely connected to the films. Instead, showrunner Jon Favreau and his team introduced viewers to a new bounty hunter named Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and a cuddly breakout star in the mysterious “Baby Yoda.” During season 1, the series created its own corner of the Star Wars sandbox.

All that began to change in the final moments of The Mandalorian Season 1. Grand Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) reveals he is in possession of the darksaber, a valuable Mandalorian artifact. Season 2 has continued to tread familiar ground, with appearances by Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison), Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), and Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson).

Fans have a pretty clear idea of who could play Luke Skywalker

Given its moves closer to Star Wars lore, it’s not a huge stretch to imagine Mando and The Child might cross paths with another famous Jedi at some point. The Mandalorian is set just a few years after Return of the Jedi, after all. Even a brief appearance by Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) — who would likely be restarting the Jedi Order — certainly would fit the storyline.

For a while, fans have noted the resemblance between young Hamill and Marvel actor Sebastian Stan. With all the chatter about spinoff movies and Disney+ shows, Stan’s name has frequently popped up. Now artist BossLogic has taken that speculation one step further with a fan-made character poster for The Mandalorian featuring Stan as Skywalker. And it’s uncanny.

Related

‘Star Wars’ Fan-Made Video Proves George Lucas Was Right All Along

‘Star Wars’ fans would likely have a divisive response to this direction

Of course, Stan is already set to appear on another Disney+ series, Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. So it makes sense for Disney to tap him to join Star Wars as well. And Dawson’s fan-casting led her to actually winning the role. In that respect, there’s a precedent that he could bring Luke Skywalker to The Mandalorian. But there’s a huge risk involved.

After all, part of why fans responded so positively to the show is its disconnectedness from the Skywalker legacy. Lucasfilm just wrapped up its “Skywalker saga” after nine films focused on that family line. And the Star Wars sequel trilogy wasn’t exactly embraced by all. So while the temptation exists for Luke to show up, The Mandalorian might want to resist.

Best in Entertainment