Will Lucasfilm Really Cast Sebastian Stan As Our Next Luke Skywalker?
The Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) franchises have many things in common. Disney owns both. They are guaranteed money-makers for the House of Mouse with ardent, loyal fans. Creative talent is also shared by the franchise juggernauts as well. Now, another deep-fake has added Sebastian Stan to the original Star Wars trilogy.
Discussions in the fandom-verse regarding the resemblance between Sebastian Stan and young Mark Hamill are nothing new. The photos started popping up on social media in 2016. The image of Stan's face on Hamill's neck and torso, like the one above from Instagram user @morphy_me.
Besides the stubble on Sebastian Stan's face, there is very little difference between the two photos. The resemblance is beyond uncanny. Fans were impressed at just how much Stan looked like Hamill.
Though no current plans for any films regarding Luke Skywalker's youthful adventures were in the works at the time, fans everywhere could not help but speculate about the possibilities. Even Mark Hamill was impressed by the images.
Many joked that the two must somehow be related. The two actors, of course, are not. However, that did not stop Stan from clowning "Daddy" Hamill on Good Morning America in 2017, a full year after the initial barrage of images. Both Hamill and Stan remained flattered by the comparison to each other.
When asked about the possibility of Stan taking over for Hamill in the role of a young Luke Skywalker, Hamill loves the comparison:
"At first I said, he's way too handsome to be compared to me…but then they morphed us together. I was like, hey, that is kind of spooky."
When asked if he supported Stan if he takes over the role of young Luke Skywalker, Hamill was incredibly supportive.
"He doesn't need me. He's an accomplished enough actor to get it on its own. I shouldn't put my thumb on the scale because it's not my choice. It's Disney and Lucasfilm, You know? I don't want to cut short any other potential Lukes... I'd love to work with him. Heck, I'd play his father any day."
The Mandalorian Surprise
It has been a couple of months since Season 2 of The Mandalorian ended in 2020. If you have not seen it yet, then, dear reader, you have been forced to read or see it elsewhere. I feel no remorse in spoiling it here.
I am of the generation who saw all of the originals in the theater. That last episode thrilled this old fan cried tears, real tears, of joy. A young Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 answered Grogu's call. Many fans thought Sebastian Stan himself was finally involved. Hallelujah, Disney and Lucasfilm listened to their fans!
We were wrong. Actor Max Lloyd-Jones was the lucky man to portray the young Master Luke. Though he physically portrayed the young Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill provided the voice. Sebastian Stan was probably not available due to the pandemic impacted production schedule for the MCU Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. How was it done?
Lucasfilm has relied on its proprietary CGI technology for its many character morphs over the years, and this was no exception. Mark Hamill continued to portray present-day Luke in The Last Jedi. A flashback sequence in The Rise of Skywalker contained both a young Luke and Leia in training. Such portrayals are just a tad bit in the uncanny territory.
To date, we have seen Peter Cushing's Grand Moff Tarkin and a younger Princess Leia in Rogue One (2016). Actress Ingvild Deila physically portrayed Princess Leia in that film. The team superimposed Carrie Fisher's image over the actress'.
While both were necessary for the film, many felt that the portrayals dipped into the uncanny valley. This dip in affinity happens when the relationship between something's resemblance to a human and the emotional response to that thing is negatively perceived. Enter AI and a whole host of other deep-fake technologies that have emerged over the years.
The Latest Deep Fake
YouTuber Shamook and a few others leveraged other techniques to create their morphs and deep-fake videos. Because of their methodologies, their renditions have thus far been superb. They are uncanny for just how good they are.
Shamook is the master of deep-fake videos. They have made several for many franchises and stand-alone movies beyond Star Wars. Check out their creations covering the MCU and Indiana Jones franchises. They have also tackled Forrest Gump, a movie that famously brought deep fakes to life on the big screen as part of the film. With this latest Sebastian Stan morph, they outdid themselves once again.
What do you think? Should Sebastian Stan also be Luke Skywalker? If so, should Mark Hamill still be the voice? Right now, I hold an unpopular opinion. I think it makes sense to continue to have Lloyd-Jones be Skywalker. Perhaps he can eventually take over the voice too.
Before getting all upset with me for not going with the mob, read me out. I adore Sebastian Stan to pieces. I want to see him continue to thrive as the Winter Soldier into the next exciting phase of the MCU. With the main Skywalker arc finally done, perhaps we can see some new stories for this iconic character.
Maybe if Luke takes a trip through the World Between Worlds and runs into himself in another reality (not confirmed to be possible as it seems the World Between Worlds only shows different eras, but you never know), perhaps we can have both men portray Luke. If the story is written that right way, maybe then we could have all three! Who wouldn't love that?
For now, we will have to wait and see what plans Disney and Lucasfilm have for young Luke Skywalker. They have already announced so many other shows and movies for the franchise. Who knows when they will get to tell us more about young Master Luke's adventures? For now, keep the deep fakes coming!
Source(s): Cinema Blend, CNET, Forbes