Mark Hamill 'hopes' he's done after The Rise of Skywalker

Mark Hamill first played Luke Skywalker in 1977, but now the actor wants to hang up his lightsaber for good. Photo / Getty Images

It's been more than four decades since Mark Hamill first played Luke Skywalker, and it looks like the actor is keen to hang up his lightsaber for good at the end of this year.

While Luke died at the end of The Last Jedi, Star Wars fans will know that doesn't mean his character is gone.

Like Obi-Wan Kenobi before him, Hamill has confirmed Luke will return in this year's The Rise of Skywalker as a Force ghost but doesn't plan to make it a common appearance in future Star Wars flicks, reports news.com.au.

Asked by AP Entertainment if The Rise of Skywalker would be his last Star Wars appearance, Hamill replied with a laugh: "I sure hope so."

HAMILL’S LAST HOPE: #MarkHamill (@HamillHimself) is hoping to retire from his Jedi job in @StarWars’ next installment #RiseOfSkywalker pic.twitter.com/Kvdb53Sw31

— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) June 20, 2019

Explaining why, Hamill said: "Well, because … I had closure in the last one. The fact that I'm involved in any capacity is only because of that peculiar aspect of the Star Wars mythology where if you're a Jedi, you get to come back and make a curtain call as a Force ghost."

Hamill has previously said he wasn't happy about his character's storyline in The Last Jedi, disagreeing with director Rian Johnson's direction for Luke.

In The Last Jedi, Luke is a grumpy recluse who doesn't believe the Jedi can do good anymore, something Hamill says is not what Star Wars creator George Lucas' Luke would have done.

Mark Hamill wasn't happy with his character's storyline in The Last Jedi. Photo / Supplied

"I almost had to think of Luke as another character. Maybe he's Jake Skywalker. He's not my Luke Skywalker," Hamill said in a 2017 interview, according to Business Insider.

"But I had to do what Rian wanted me to do because it serves the story well. Listen, I still haven't accepted it completely, but it's only a movie. I hope people like it. I hope they don't get upset."

Hamill has since tweeted his regret at speaking about his doubts around the movie publicly, saying "all I wanted was to make (a) good movie".

I regret voicing my doubts & insecurities in public.Creative differences are a common element of any project but usually remain private. All I wanted was to make good movie. I got more than that- @rianjohnson made an all-time GREAT one! #HumbledHamill https://t.co/8ujJfBuEdV

— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) December 26, 2017

The Last Jedi divided Star Wars fans and critics and sits on a 44 per cent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.