About 
Spider-Noir EPs Phil Lord and Chris Miller discuss Nicolas Cage's approach to playing Ben Reilly as Humphrey Bogart crossed with Bugs Bunny.
Posted in: Disney+, Lucasfilm, Movies, Star Wars, TV | Tagged: star wars
Star Wars "Can't Be in Better Hands" Than Dave Filoni's: Mark Hamill
Star Wars icon Mark Hamill assures fans that the Lucasfilm franchise "can't be in better hands" than with new co-president Dave Filoni.
Article Summary
- Mark Hamill praises Dave Filoni, calling Star Wars franchise "in the best hands" under his leadership
- Dave Filoni takes over Lucasfilm as co-president after Kathleen Kennedy steps down in 2026
- Filoni's creative roots span animated hits like Clone Wars, Rebels, and current live-action series
- Hamill discusses the return of Luke Skywalker using new tech and reflects on Star Wars' 50th anniversary
Not that fans these days take the ringing endorsement of an original as much as they used to, but it certainly doesn't hurt with the current stewards in charge when one like Mark Hamill, who couldn't be more synonymous with Star Wars than creator George Lucas, provides his ringing endorsement. With Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy stepping down in 2026, the Disney studio announced Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennand would take over. Filoni is best known for building the franchise's animated empire, starting with Clone Wars, then Rebels, Forces of Destiny, Resistance, The Bad Batch, Tales, and, currently, Maul – Shadow Lord. His influence doesn't just stop in the animated world; he serves as an executive producer on major live-action Star Wars Disney+ projects like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and Skeleton Crew. Hamill spoke to USA Today about his work with LEGO for its Star Wars promotion, the special title the company gave him, and his conflicted feelings about the Disney era.
Star Wars Icon Mark Hamill Gives Dave Filoni His Ringing Endorsement
When asked about what he thought of Filoni now in charge of Lucasfilm after over two decades with Lucas personally recruiting him in 2005 to help develop Lucasfilm Animation, Hamill said Star Wars "can't be in better hands" and says the director understands the franchise "so well" adding "George was a mentor to Dave, so he knows George's sensibility." Following the actor's experience in the sequel trilogy working with directors J. J. Abrams and Rian Johnson that left Luke Skywalker bitter and cynical about the Jedi Order after his own failings with Ben Solo (Adam Driver), who renounced his teachings and embraced the Dark Side, becoming Kylo Ren, Filoni gave the actor a chance to revisit the character again by exploring the gap between Return of the Jedi (1983) and The Force Awakens (2015) in the timeline with his stints on The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett thanks to new and updated technology. To bring back younger Luke, a body double, de-aging CG, and voice cloning/modulation shaved nearly 40 years from Hamill's voice to make him sound more like his 30-year-old self, bringing back a little swagger and some enthusiasm to fans who were disappointed not seeing that actor more active in the final Skywalker films.
Hamill is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the start of production on A New Hope (1977), which would change his, Harrison Ford's, Carrie Fisher's, and Lucas's lives forever. For more on Hamill's life in Star Wars, you can check out the entire interview.
Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!
Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!
