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It took a while for Mark Hamill to embrace the impact that Star Wars has had on his career. And after working for three decades in voiceover roles like The Joker on Batman: The Animated Series and other projects, Hamill shared that he was hesitant to jump back into the saddle for the Star Wars sequels when Disney started planning them with Lucasfilm a decade or so ago. That is, until he saw who else was in. 

Speaking to NPR, Hamill shared that he wasn't convinced that he should return for Episode VII. The actor said, "My initial reaction is that we shouldn't do it. I mean, you can never go home again. And I was sure, I said, Harrison [Ford]'s not gonna do it. He's got so much going on and he gets frustrated when those movies are brought up so often. So I said I know he's not going to do it. But when I read in the press that he'd signed to do I thought, Oh my God, I've just been drafted. Because if I say no and Harrison and Carrie come back. I'll be the most hated man in nerddom. So I thought, maybe it's fate. Maybe I should go back. So I did."

Hamill's instincts were certainly in the right place. Harrison Ford is notoriously uninterested in fan theories about whether Deckard in Blade Runner is a replicant or if "Han shot first," which frankly, is super valid. Like why can't people ever ask him about, I don't know, his experiences working with Picnic at Hanging Rock director Peter Weir on 1985's Witness? It certainly said something at the time that Ford was willing to return to such an iconic role and universe. The guy is a carpenter. I'd trust his judgment too. 

Hamill, of course, returned for only one scene in 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens, before appearing as a central character in its sequel, 2017's Star Wars: The Last Jedi - where Luke Skywalker died. Death isn't the end in Star Wars, however; he's since appeared as Skywalker in 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and, digitally de-aged, in Disney+'s The Mandalorian. All in all, it's safe to say he's avoided being the most hated man in nerddom with that output.

Currently, you can see Hamill in Mike Flanagan's movie adaptation of Stephen King's book, The Life of Chuck. And it's not scary, we promise. 

Get to know, understand, and love the Star Wars franchise more with our Star Wars watch order, guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies & TV shows, and all the Star Wars movies and Star Wars TV shows ranked.