Mark Hamill: Of Course Luke Skywalker Is Gay

Mark Hamill started a fire storm of internet speculation after saying that Luke Skywalker is gay — or did he? The quote follows the lead of J.J. Abrams, who recently said the Star Wars Universe contained LGBT characters, and insinuated some will be appearing in the movies.

Hamill’s revelation is not quite as clear cut as some media outlets make it appear. Speaking to The Sun about Skywalker’s sexual preferences, he said it’s up to interpretation.

“I just read online that J.J. is very much open to that. In the old days, you would get fan mail. But now fans are writing and asking all these questions: ‘I’m bullied in school … I’m afraid to come out.’ They say to me: ‘Could Luke be gay?’ I’d say it is meant to be interpreted by the viewer. If you think Luke is gay, of course he is. You should not be ashamed of it. Judge Luke by his character, not by who he loves.”

The comments follow a brief Twitter interaction between Hamill and a fan, according to Vanity Fair, who asked if Luke Skywalker is bisexual. There again he said it’s all up to the audience.

Luke Skywalker’s love life is not explored in the films. Throughout the trilogy he appeared to be following the Jedi tradition of abstinence, except for a few unfortunate kisses with his sister, Leia.

Still, Hamill’s comments about his character Luke Skywalker are meant to reinforce an attitude about inclusiveness in the Star Wars Universe. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, J.J. Abrams recently talked about the likelihood of a homosexual character existing in Star Wars.

He reportedly said it would be “narrow-minded” to think that the galaxy far, far away would not have a gay character.

“To me, the fun of Star Wars is the glory of possibility. So it seems insanely narrow-minded and counterintuitive to say that there wouldn’t be a homosexual character in that world.”

Is Luke Skywalker that homosexual character? According to Hamill, it’s just a matter of interpretation, although that would defeat rumors that Rey is the Jedi master’s daughter (which also carries a long list of other questions).

In books covering the expanded Star Wars Universe, Luke Skywalker had a wife and a child. Star Wars: The Force Awakens’s creators said they would not be taking material from the dozens of books that came after the films, but Rey being Luke’s daughter would explain her natural abilities in the Force. Then again, it might be a little too predictable and cliche that another Skywalker is abandoned on a desert planet.

Another thought is that Abrams already included gay characters in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, specifically the renegade Stormtrooper, Finn and the ace rebel pilot, Poe. Some fans stipulate that their close bond is more than just friendship. John Boyega, who played Finn, denies any knowledge of a love interest, but Oscar Isaac, who played Poe, said he was always portraying a love story.

Fan interpretation is fair game for now, but the door might be closed later this year. Luke Skywalker will have an expanded role in Episode VIII, one that might reveal who he’s been dating all this time.

According to Daisy Ridley, who played Rey, she says that Luke Skywalker is “so cool” in the newest film. Star Wars: Episode VIII will debut in December, 2016.

[Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney]