Mark Hamill Reveals Near Retirement Before Stephen King Roles

Mark Hamill revealed at San Diego Comic-Con that he nearly retired from on-camera acting around 2019, feeling unmotivated and considering focusing solely on voice-over work. His wife and agent persuaded him to continue, and filmmaker Mike Flanagan played a pivotal role in reigniting his passion by casting him in The Fall of the House of Usher, where Hamill portrayed an amoral, sociopathic lawyer. This resurgence led to his casting in The Long Walk, a dystopian Stephen King adaptation where Hamill plays the Major, a brutal military commander overseeing a deadly walking contest. Hamill drew on his teenage experiences near a U.S. military base in Japan to inform his portrayal of the harsh character. The Long Walk premiered its first 22 minutes and a red-band trailer at Comic-Con, highlighting Hamill's transition into darker, more complex roles beyond his iconic Luke Skywalker character. The film is set to release in theaters on September 12.