‘Star Wars’ Fans Debate Sebastian Stan Luke Skywalker Casting for New Series
Nearly five decades after George Lucas introduced audiences to a galaxy far, far away, the Star Wars franchise continues to evolve. While currently navigating a challenging development phase, new projects are still arriving, keeping the iconic series active and engaging for fans.
Lucas’s original 1977 film launched the careers of Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher, who played Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia Organa, respectively. These three leads formed the heart of the original trilogy and reprised their roles for Disney’s sequel trilogy, beginning with 2015’s Star Wars: Episode VII–The Force Awakens, under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy.
Despite reuniting beloved characters, Disney’s sequel trilogy faced backlash, particularly following Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: Episode VIII–The Last Jedi (2017). The trilogy concluded with J. J. Abrams’s divisive Star Wars: Episode IX–The Rise of Skywalker (2019), which arrived alongside the launch of Disney+.
The Mandalorian premiered as Disney+’s flagship Star Wars series, quickly building a passionate following. Its success expanded into the Mando-Verse, with spin-off series such as The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and Skeleton Crew exploring the New Republic timeline. The Mando-Verse will make its theatrical debut in 2026 with Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, a film that could potentially replace a fourth season of The Mandalorian.
In 2020, The Mandalorian‘s second season delivered a standout moment when Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker appeared in “Chapter 16: The Rescue.” Using CGI de-aging technology, Luke returned to take Grogu from Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) for Jedi training.
This iteration of Luke reappeared in The Book of Boba Fett alongside Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka Tano, with Luke later appearing in other New Republic media such as Adam Christopher’s “Shadow of the Sith,” which takes place 17 years after the end of the original trilogy.
However, fans continue to wonder if a Luke Skywalker-focused series might be in the cards.
On Reddit, user Ok_Relief7456 shared a post from Bluesky suggesting that Lucasfilm create a Luke-centric series set after Star Wars: Episode VI–Return of the Jedi (1983). The post proposed a year-by-year series showing Luke gathering Jedi knowledge, crossing paths with Clone Wars characters, and battling Sith cults, Imperials, and pirates.
The concept sparked largely positive responses. User Shmere4 said, “Yeah this is where the value is in the IP. This could be a gold mine if the creative in charge knows what they are doing.” Suburbantroubadour echoed that sentiment, suggesting, “There are two surefire ways to print at least a billion and a half in my opinion. Luke post-ROTJ and Vader in his prime. Fan service be damned. We’ll ALL go watch, whether you want to admit it or not.”
However, others argued that execution matters more than the concept itself. Ruggerio5 commented, “If anything is done well, I’ll watch it. Every single show they’ve done could have been good… I think the idea matters less than the execution.”
Whenever discussions about a Luke Skywalker recast arise, Sebastian Stan’s name inevitably enters the conversation. The Academy Award-nominated actor, known for The Apprentice (2024) and his long-running role as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has been widely fan-cast as the iconic Jedi. Stan previously stated he would only consider playing Luke if Mark Hamill gave his blessing. Hamill, for his part, has stated that he has no influence over Lucasfilm’s casting decisions.
As for Lucasfilm’s confirmed slate, Kathleen Kennedy recently addressed rumors about her retirement and revealed that Shawn Levy’s Star Wars film, rumored to feature Ryan Gosling, is next in line following The Mandalorian and Grogu.
Alongside Levy’s project, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Rey Skywalker movie has enlisted George Nolfi as its new writer, while James Mangold’s “Dawn of the Jedi” project is progressing now that his work on A Complete Unknown (2024) is complete. Dave Filoni’s Mando-Verse film is still in development, though Ahsoka Season 2 is expected to arrive first.
Additionally, Patty Jenkins’s Rogue Squadron project and Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie remain active, despite earlier rumors that they were scrapped.
On the Disney+ front, Tony Gilroy’s highly anticipated second season of the acclaimed Andor series is set to premiere on April 22. Led by Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor, the season will bridge the story directly to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) and lead into the original Star Wars film from 1977. Andor Season 2 will release three episodes weekly through May 13.
Would you watch a Luke Skywalker-led Star Wars series set post-Return of the Jedi? Share your thoughts with us below!
