‘Star Wars: Episode 8’: What The Last-Minute ‘The Force Awakens’ Ending Change Could Mean For Luke’s Fate


If the latest reports are anything to go by, Star Wars: Episode 8 – The Last Jedi may not end well for another legacy character – Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).

Just recently, the sequel’s director, Rian Johnson, revealed to Entertainment Weekly that he asked Star Wars: Episode 7 – The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams to make one small change to the ending of the 2015 film.

Johnson revealed that he requested Abrams to have R2-D2 accompany Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Chewbacca in their journey to Ahch-To to reunite with Luke instead of BB-8.

“The big [favor] was, I asked if R2 could come with Rey, and if BB-8 could stay behind with the Resistance. Originally, it was BB-8 who went with Rey, which makes sense for the story in a way. But I asked, ‘Can you do me this solid and switch the droids?'”

Abrams obliged, which is why it was R2-D2 that fans saw standing next to Chewbacca by the Millennium Falcon, watching Rey make her way to Luke in Star Wars: Episode 7.

Not much has been revealed as to why he had the swap made, although it makes a lot of sense. For starters, it will reunite R2-D2 with his master, allowing the legacy characters to remain central to Star Wars: Episode 8.

Luke and R2-D2 during their final time together in ‘Star Wars: Episode 7 – The Force Awakens.’ [Image by Disney/Lucasfilm]

However, Star Wars watcher Bastion of Kuul believes that this is no tiny alteration. He says that it could catapult to something much bigger with regard to Luke’s fate in the new Star Wars trilogy.

He posits that Star Wars: Episode 8 – The Last Jedi might end up killing off Luke as Disney and Lucasfilm shift the focus to the next generation of characters. A reunion with R2-D2 will serve as the silver lining to the loss.

Johnson was involved early in the process of creating The Force Awakens so that he can coherently put together Star Wars: Episode 8 – The Last Jedi. This means that as he envisioned and penned the upcoming film, he had knowledge of the events of the previous movie.

Surely, Johnson already knew the story he wanted to tell in the next Star Wars film as The Force Awakens was being put together. If it involves Luke biting the dust, the director would want to bring him together with his old friends before he goes.

It is being rumored that Star Wars: Episode 8 will see Leia (Carrie Fisher) captured by the First Order, allowing her to share scenes with her son Ben aka Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). That makes a get-together with Luke out of the question, so the next best thing is having the Jedi master join up with R2-D2 and Chewie.

At the Star Wars Celebration, Hamill said that his character will not be central to The Last Jedi. However, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy was quick to say that Luke will be crucial to the film.

Mark Hamill talks about Luke’s role in ‘Star Wars: Episode 8 – The Last Jedi’ at the Star Wars Celebration as co-stars Kelly Marie Tran, John Boyega and Daisy Ridley, director Rian Johnson, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, and moderator Josh Gad listened. [Image by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images]

While Hamill’s remarks suggested that his character’s role might be limited in the film, Johnson pointed out in the same aforementioned EW interview that Luke will indeed be the center of Star Wars: Episode 8.

“Figuring out where his head was at was the very first thing I had to do when writing the movie. I had to crack this. And it had to be something for me that first and foremost made sense. Why did Luke Skywalker go off to this island? That was the starting point, and that’s what the entire movie explores.”

The extent of Luke’s involvement in Star Wars: Episode 8 remains a mystery at the moment, but fans hope that whether his role is big or small, he makes it out The Last Jedi alive.

Many are still reeling from the death of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) in Star Wars: Episode 7 – The Force Awakens. Leia is also expected to be retired soon following the death of beloved actress Carrie Fisher. Fans could only take so much, so they hope that Luke will get to live to be part of more adventures after Star Wars: Episode 8.

That being said, Bastion of Kuul is counting on the possibility that Johnson simply made the change because it made sense and that he wants BB-8 with the Resistance, close to his pal Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaacs).

The Star Wars watcher also believes that BB-8 is ideal in fast-paced action sequences, which Star Wars: Episode 8 – The Last Jedi will have a lot of, as opposed to R2-D2. That and the fact that Artoo just has to be reunited with Luke once more.

Star Wars: Episode 8 – The Last Jedi will hit the cinemas December 15.

[Featured Image by Disney/Lucasfilm]

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