Mark Hamill: New Star Wars Is a ‘Gift’

Longtime Star Wars fans aren’t the only ones excited to reunite with Luke Skywalker for the upcoming trilogy — even Mark Hamill called reprising his most famous role “an unexpected gift.”

“I already had a beginning, middle and end. I never thought we’d come back,” the 62-year-old actor told BBC News at the U.K. premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy. “I thought even if they did a third trilogy, we wouldn’t be involved, because it is really about the new generation of characters.”

Hamill is joining his original 1977 co-stars Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) as well as series newcomers, such as Girls‘ Adam Driver and 12 Years a Slave‘s Lupita Nyong’o, for Episode VII in 2015.

“These kids — they are not kids — but they are so talented,” Hamill said. “We are just there to lend our support and grow contractually obligated beards.”

[BBC]