Sebastian Stan Yet Wants To Play Young Luke Skywalker
Pam & Tommy star Sebastian Stan is still dodging questions about one day playing Luke Skywalker, even years after fans first pointed out his uncanny resemblance to Mark Hamill. Stan, of course, is best known for playing Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s spent the beginning of 2022 doing press to promote three projects released this year: spy flick The 355, romance thriller Fresh and, most recently, Hulu series Pam & Tommy, in which Stan stars as Mötley Crüe drummer, Tommy Lee.
In between his various endeavours, Stan consistently gets fan-casted as Luke Skywalker, fueled by numerous fan edits pointing out his and Hamill’s physical — or at least facial — similarities. Hamill and Stan have since run with the idea. The two stays in touch and have, on more than one occasion, referred to each other as “father” and “son” in interviews and social media posts. Jokes aside, neither have any sway in Star Wars casting, and Disney and Lucasfilm have not announced any Luke Skywalker-related projects happening shortly.
Still, Stan has continuously expressed openness to playing the famed Jedi, should the opportunity arise. He recently sat down with Esquire to talk Pam & Tommy as well as react to headlines and memes about himself. When the Luke Skywalker question arose once again, Stan said:
“Look, it’s kind. Never say never. Mark Hamill is my father, you know, and he knows that, and I call him every Christmas to tell him, ‘Just want you to know I’m around.’ It’s terrifying.”
Without an official announcement from Disney, Stan likely won’t be playing Skywalker for a while if at all, much to the delight of Star Wars purists who shun the idea of any actor other than Hamill in the role. And while Hamill was able to return as a younger Skywalker in The Mandalorian through de-ageing technology, that technique can only go so far without looking off and unrealistic. If Disney and Lucasfilm want to develop a new Skywalker storyline, perhaps following the events after Return of the Jedi, the studio will have to find a younger actor, the same way Alden Ehrenreich took the mantle from Harrison Ford as Han Solo.
Stan may fit the Luke Skywalker bill through his acting chops alone. He’s a versatile actor known for not only his ability to portray drastically different personas — but also his willingness to mould into whatever role he’s playing. Whether it’s bulking up for Bucky Barnes or slimming down for Tommy Lee, his dedication to character integrity is likely why Hamill has never voiced disapproval of Stan. They seem to have a good relationship. If the concept eventually lands on Stan’s desk, there’s a decent chance Hamill will give his blessing.