Mark Hamill Nearly Retired From Live-Action Acting After THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, Then Mike Flanagan Called

When you think of Mark Hamill, you think of Star Wars. Luke Skywalker is one of the most iconic characters in cinema history, and Hamill has been a force in entertainment for decades, from blockbuster films to legendary voice roles like the Joker.

But after wrapping up the Skywalker saga in The Rise of Skywalker back in 2019, Hamill was ready to call it quits on live-action acting.

At San Diego Comic-Con, during the panel for the upcoming Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk, Hamill opened up about why he nearly retired and what kept him going.

“I didn’t expect to be this busy at this stage in my career. I thought this stage of my career I'd be spending more time with a metal detector wandering around the beach. You know, playing with the dogs in the backyard.

“I said to my agents, I said, ‘You know what? I'm not motivated anymore.’ This is 2019. I said, ‘You know, I think I'm going to retire and just do voice-over [work].’ The only people who objected were my agent and my wife — it's good to have me out of the house.”

It would’ve been a fitting exit, closing out a character that defined generations. But just as Hamill was ready to pack it in, director Mike Flanagan came calling.

Hamill landed a role in Flanagan’s Netflix series The Fall of the House of Usher, a modern gothic spin on Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tale. And that role changed everything for him.

“I have to say, ‘Thank you to Mike Flanagan.’ That would have been a routine character for a voice over, but to play an amoral sociopathic lawyer, just pure evil, never on camera. So I really have to thank Mike Flanagan, because he got outside the box.”

That performance as Arthur Gordon Pym reminded audiences that Hamill could do more, that he could still deliver unforgettable live-action work. He didn’t stop there, either. Hamill teamed up with Flanagan again for the adaptation of Stephen King’s The Life of Chuck, earning even more praise. It was one of the best performances of his career.

Since then, Hamill has been everywhere, balancing voice acting and live-action roles. He even returned, in a way, to Luke Skywalker through de-aged sequences in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.

Now, Hamill is gearing up for another Stephen King project: The Long Walk, directed by Francis Lawrence. He plays the Major, a ruthless figure in the dystopian thriller, and fans got a sneak peek of the intensity he brings to the role at Comic-Con.

The Long Walk hits theaters on September 12, 2025. For someone who almost walked away from live-action acting, Hamill is proving he’s still got plenty left in the tank.