ST Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) in Episode VII

Well, we already know for a fact that Luke does have an important off screen role. Everything points to it.
I don't know what you mean about giving the audience too much credit; if anything, there's a lot of imposing ones own hopes onto an audience. To casual filmgoers, Mark Hamill isn't important. To savvy film goers who aren't Star Wars obsessed, they can see that Luke is being used interestingly.
This film, contrary to opinions on this thread, does not succeed or fail with a general audience based on if Luke's role was satisfying enough. What this film does is use the familiar name of Luke to get the audience on board with the heroes' quest.

And when you talk about Disney needing more than us on here; quite. Very few people outside fandom have much of an opinion about Luke either way. The people who will be bringing in the case are the people who think Phasma looks great, for example.

 

Here's another angle - I've seen the odd snarky cartoon showing doddery old Han, Luke and Leia as if it's "LOL, people are old"
But what it shows, knowing spoilers, is that the film already neatly avoids being simply "further adventures of the old gang " : Indiana Jones 4 this is not.
We will have an aged Han: and he dies. That immediately invalidates any of the "Rolling Stones" type jokes: Han's involvement is for a reason, and he pays a price.
Leia; well, we have an actual older woman coming back thirty years later, who will now presumably be a more nuanced character. We don't know much yet.
And Luke; well he's off screen for most of the film. Fsr from being the old guy adventuring, he is out of the picture and the young people need him, desperately.

This is all Good Storytelling. It might not be wish fulfilment, but wish fulfilment often ain't all it's cracked up to be.

 

OK, let me be clear that I am not trying to re-start the 'Luke Skywalker is Star Wars' argument. If I thought that, my handle would be Saint Skywalker.

People are going into this film with certain expectations, just like with any film. For SOME people, Luke is the focus of SW. These are your people who saw the PT once and hated it after growing up with the OT.

Let me ask you: if this film were set 100 years after ROTJ, with no Han, no Luke, no Leia, no Chewie, no Falcon, no R2/3PO, do you think Disney and industry experts would be expecting the box office numbers they are? Would there be the same buzz? Without John Williams' fanfare? Without the classic yellow logo?

We all have our opinions about what is and is not Star Wars. All I am suggesting is that many of you are underestimating how Luke-centric this story is to the general public. For some, a SW film without Luke is like a Trek movie without Kirk, or a Bond movie without Bond. Will it matter? Probably not, but on your way out of the theater -- if the rumors are true -- let me know if you hear anyone say 'That was cool, but where the **** was Luke?'

That's all I am saying. When people go to a concert, they want to hear their favorite song. They hit beer line for the new ones. (I don't, but you know people do.)

 

I think re-introducing us to the GFFA and the legacy characters through the new leads, and viewing the past episodes as myth and legend is absolute genius.

Re Luke and expectations. I get that some really want to see him - I do too. But I have to assume that wherever, whenever and however Luke shows up they have a plan for him, and it's a plan that got past the story group, got past KK, got past Disney (all of whom I think appreciate how important Luke is to the saga), and it's a plan that does not involve throwing him under a bus.

I think the worst it will be, will be setting him up for episode 8. If the rest of the film is good, and his scenes are good (whatever they are I just cannot see them dropping the ball with Luke) then I think most will leave happy to see more of him as the story progresses. Hell, he may well still appear in a blaze of glory in this film and bring the house down.

 

I think it is a brilliant way to start, absolutely. What those characters did is not to believed, and it probably wouldn't be by the average folks of the galaxy.

 

Sorry, your argument is bogus. There is a difference between a likely storyline in which an iconic character is off screen but crucial, and a situation whereby all iconography is jettisoned.

The very fact that the use of the falcon, the return of Han, the familiar music, the familiar designs etc were used is evidence that the filmmakers know the power of the iconography, people just need to hold fire on panicking that somehow the importance of Luke Skywalker has slipped the mind of all involved.

 

"For some, a Star Wars movie without Luke is like"...

Nah. The last three Star Wars films had no Luke and no Vader for the most part. Star Wars is the universe. Luke is an important character and the writers are ensuring he is important to this story. But outside of devoted fandom, Luke isn't as crucial to further instalments as you think.

 

I think that's it - hold fire - by all means hate the film and what they did to Luke once you know how it all slots together and they've given it their best shot. Panicking and acting like doom is a foregone conclusion based on what (we think) we know, seems a little premature and can't be good for the soul.

And yes, I agree, general audiences have now seen as much (if not more thanks to TCW and Rebels) SW without Luke as with him. Most are quite used to not much Luke in their SW. Also, new audiences (hard to believe but there will be generations just getting into the saga) won't necessarily be hanging on the edge of their seat waiting for Luke. For them, it'll be the new characters that define the success of the film.

 

Another little point - it's possible that at the time of writing, there wasn't absolute certainty that Mark would be able to be recognisable as Luke. At Kingsman, I asked two of my friends a question, both differently ; I asked one if they knew who played the professor. I asked the other which character was played by the guy who played Luke Skywalker.

Neither got it.

 

I am not arguing that at all; you seem to think that no one is going to care if Luke is only in the film for the final scene as long as the film is good/the character is respected , and I disagree with you. And that's fine. Whether you or I agree with them, some people are going to be bummed about the lack of Luke even if TFA is the best film since Citizen Kane.

My original point was just that I expect that Disney will very quickly make sure that everyone knows that now that we have found Luke -- if this is all true, BTW -- start lining up for EVIII! They would be crazy not to.

 

If Luke doesn't end up with a decent role in the ST when it's all said and done Star Wars will take a hit for it. It wont be a crushing defeat but I guarantee there will be more negative buzz than Disney would like. To satisfy the first two generation of fans I believe Luke needs a role at least equal in size to PT Yoda's.

 

I just think there is so little likelihood of Luke getting frozen out of the ST, it's like worrying about Jar Jar coming back in a major role.

It's not going to happen.

 

Only in so far as that the film will make it clear that Luke will be a presence in the next episode; there won't be a "Lucasfilm sought to assure fans that Luke Skywalker will have a bigger role in episode 8" announcement; it'll be implied by the ending of VII, and then Luke won't be hidden in the publicity for 8.

 

And how well were those films received by a large portion of the SW community, the majority of critics, and audiences on their way out the show?

There's no point in us arguing this all night. We'll both just wait and see. When you go to the store in a SW t-shirt on 12/20, don't be surprised when the clerk says 'WHERE THE HELL WAS LUKE?????'

 

The only way that Luke has a reduced/non-existent role in Episode VIII (and IX, if he doesn't die in IX, and even then they can Force ghost him) is if (God forbid) Mark Hamill suffers a grievous injury and is physically incapable of playing the part, or dies.

So as long as Hamill keeps kicking, Luke will be fine.

The reception to the prequels had nothing to do with Luke not being in it.

 

It's quite funny right, you see people on here worrying the general public won't be happy if Luke's character isn't respected. And then you go on Facebook and see hundreds of people commenting on a sponsored link about Terminatir Genisys saying "I don't see why snobs hated it, I loved this film loads, great entertainment"
What some of the Luke panickers will find is that actually, the general public will probably embrace a competently made family action sci fi film more unreservedly than we will. A casual filmgoer's opinion on Luke will be more likely closer to "it was so cool when Luke turned up at the end" than"I can't believe Luke only had 39 seconds screen time"

 

All of which has been helped by the lack of Luke in the marketing to date. He's not on the poster. His lack of screen time has been trailed in EW and the fact that we haven't seen him for more than a second, and not even his face - most normals won't even know or care who that was in the trailer. The question planted (very cleverly and intentionally imo) is "where is Luke"? People are already primed not to expect a whole lot of him, regardless of whether that's an accurate set-up or smoke and mirrors to blow us all away in act 2.There is no doubt some won't be satisfied with say, Skellig Luke... But imo, the vast majority will be satisfied with just an entertaining SW film if they like the new leads and there is promise of more Luke further down the line.

 

as long as casual moviegoers recognize that the guy who shows up for mute 30 seconds is Luke in the end.

 

And I am willing to bet that if things pan out the way the synopsis reads, there will be not a few wags that will call TFA a 120 minute commercial for VIII.

I've said it before and I know I am a broken record. I really think the rumored ending is not just incomplete, but wrong. I don't think Luke intervenes or anything like that, but "She climbs the stairs. There's a hooded figure. She hands him a saber. It's Luke Skywalker. Iris out" is just garbage. No amount of JW scoring or previous exposition makes that scene anything more than a post-credits Marvel-style stinger. They would be fools to have that be the big reveal, and I don't think they are fools.

If I am wrong and this is the ending, you'll see me in the crow thread. If I am wrong, and this is the ending and it causes people to errupt in riotous applause, I'll pull a jabadabbado and bake a hat-shaped cake and eat it.

 

I'm with you, Hip. On all points and the hat thing.

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A lot of my excitement stems from the mystery of Luke Skywalker. I'm a big fan of his and wants to see him in the movie. For fans like me they have done a good job of me asking where's Luke? Is this rumoured ending it? If it is I think with the hype about missing Luke is a misstep. For me. Just for me. Now I might see the movie and be like man I was totally wrong. Brilliant. I also maybe letting myself get hyped about to much and be in for a let down.
But that's what they're doing, they're hyping Luke - not in a literal fashion, but by his calculated absence. It means they are setting up something that needs to be paid off.
If it's simply. 30 second mute Luke ending... That is a big big big risk of an ending. Sure it could work, but you don't want the end of your movie, the first part of a new sequel to end on a "that's it?" All I'm saying is it's risky if the rumoured ending is it. Because it doesn't sound special.

Granted it's obvious not one single one of us, including MSW knows this crucial piece that we're missing that would make Luke's appearance special. And I, happy for it, because I am intrigued.

 

See, and here is the thing. "They" haven't really been hyping up the mystery of Luke. They just left him out of the marketing. It is the fans that insist Luke will get his big moment at the end of the film. Will he? We'll see.

I just know that I have liked almost everything I have seen so far, and although I would personally prefer more Luke than Han if I had to make such a lousy choice, I don't think it is going to spoil my enjoyment of the film at all. I just find the rumored ending curious.

 

Even I would have my pitchfork out if Han was slighted. Love Han, hell I am a huge Harrison Ford fan, at least in the 80's and 90's.

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no I dont think its clear to the casual audience/unspoiled fans that Luke will have as little screen time as MSW says......i think most are expecting he'll show up in the end and help resolve this films major conflict in some way....and that JJ just doesnt want to show any of the really good parts in trailers

 

glad to see more people agreeing that ending from rumors leaves a lot to be desired.