Mark Hamill says no to returning to 'Star Wars' franchise

Mark Hamill is officially saying goodbye to playing Luke Skywalker in the "Star Wars" saga and he admits that he cannot imagine returning in future franchise projects.

It has been decades since the actor first brought to life the character of the Jedi Master from George Lucas' "Star Wars" saga in 1977. Portraying the role of Luke Skywalker catapulted Hamill to stardom and since then, he has been the face of the iconic character.

However, the time has come for the 68-year old to hang up his robe and bequeath his lightsaber, as Luke did in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" when he gave it to Rey. Hamill said his time portraying the character "had a beginning, middle, and end."

"Oh, I can't imagine that, no...Those films gave me far more than I ever expected when we started out so it's never even occurred to me. My farewell was in Episode IX and it was bittersweet," the actor told Entertainment Weekly, when asked if he would play Luke Skywalker again.

Hamill shared that he loves the people he has worked with and expressed his affection for Lucas and the character he created. He is firm in his decision not to return and said he does not "want to be greedy" and wants other people to experience what he had.

"There are still so many more stories to tell and so many great actors to tell them, they don't need me," he added.

Hamill may not be appearing in any future "Star Wars" films, but he is looking forward to what the universe still has to offer. He is also keeping abreast of the other shows or movies in the "Star Wars" canon and specifically mentioned his fascination for "The Mandalorian." He said he is very impressed with it because it focuses on the storytelling and the characters more than the special effects.

"I think they have a wonderful advantage on 'The Mandalorian' in that it's economical storytelling. They don't have the burden of delivering a gigantic special effects extravaganza like the films had to do," he explained.

Hamill appeared as a Force Ghost in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." It was his final portrayal as Luke Skywalker.