Mark Hamill briefly appeared as Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and one of the most popular theories is that the character may be killed off in the follow-up, "Star Wars Episode VIII." However, Hamill has recently hinted that Luke might survive and still be around for "Star Wars Episode IX."
Hamill gave the hint when he posted a short video clip on Twitter. The video showcases Hamill shaving off his beard and while it is meant for pure amusement the captions read "Haven't seen my chin since May '15, so #FarewellFacialFur &#ByeByeBeard (at least til #EpisodeIX)," hinting he will be growing his beard to reprise the role in "Star Wars Episode IX."
Games Radar points out that Hamill's statement is no guarantee that Luke will survive "Episode VIII." Jedi characters such as Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guiness/Ewan McGregor) and Yoda have both come back after their deaths, appearing as Force ghosts to further guide Luke Skywalker when he was still training to become a Jedi.
It is possible that Luke will be killed off in "Episode VIII" but still appear in "Episode IX" as a Force ghost but there is also the possibility of him surviving the former and then being killed off in the latter.
The report also points out that the series is not afraid of killing major characters. Han Solo (Harrison Ford) was killed off in "The Force Awakens" and Obi-Wan was killed in "A New Hope," hinting that the series could kill Luke Skywalker at any time even though he is one of the main characters.
Screen Rant reports that Lucasfilm and Disney have been doing a good job in keeping the details of "Episode VIII" a secret and the rumors regarding Luke Skywalker's fate may remain uncertain until the film finally releases in theaters on Dec. 15, 2017.
Haven't seen my chin since May '15, so #FarewellFacialFur & #ByeByeBeard (at least til #EpisodeIX) @popculturequest pic.twitter.com/gaScz1okk6
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) August 30, 2016 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">
