Disney's CEO Just Made A Bold Claim About Mark Hamill's Last Jedi Performance

Luke Skywalker Mark Hamill

Even though the film is not due until December, it feels pretty safe to say that we don't really need any more hype for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. We're all going to see it no matter what, but that doesn't mean we should say no to new footage or any sort of praise toward the movie. Today we have the later from Disney's own CEO Bob Iger. Speaking in front of a crowd of people at D23, he said that Mark Hamill gives his "best performance to date." Luke Skywalker is going to be clutch in this film.

This weekend, thousands of Disney fans are pouring into D23, Disney's own personal Comic-Con, where they tease their latest films, and generally pat themselves on the back. On Friday, Disney held a ceremony in Anaheim honoring the significant people in their history, naming them Disney Legends. Among those who received the honor was the late Carrie Fisher, comic book legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and Mark Hamill. While on stage during the ceremony (via The Hollywood Reporter), Disney Ceo Bob Iger took a moment to praise Hamill for his work in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Iger told the crowd of Disney fans that Hamill's work in The Last Jedi was "worth the wait" and was his "best performance to date."

This could, of course, just be simple hyperbole, as the CEO of a major entertainment corporation isn't going to downplay one of their biggest releases of the year. However, J.J. Abrams similarly said that he felt Mark Hamill's performance was Oscar worthy, so maybe there is some genuine truth to the statement.

Though we still only know a few meager scraps of detail about the plot of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the drama seems to be fairly demanding for Luke Skywalker this time around. Mark Hamill has delivered great performances in the Star Wars movies over the years, and The Last Jedi will show a side of Luke the fans have never seen before. He doesn't exactly seem to be in the highest of spirits about the role of the Jedi and looks to be in a darker place. That leaves plenty for Hamill to chew as an actor. Plus, who doesn't want to say "Oscar-winner Mark Hamill?"

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is directed and written by Rian Johnson and will continue the story of Rey as seeks to train as a Jedi under Luke Skywalker. Meanwhile, Finn and Poe Dameron undertake missions for Resistance, while Kylo Ren and the First Order plan their counterattack after their humiliating loss in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The film stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Adam Driver.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is set to release in theaters on December 15, 2017. To learn more about the sequel, here's what we know so far.

Matt Wood

Matt has lived in New Jersey his entire life, but commutes every day to New York City. He graduated from Rowan University and loves Marvel, Nintendo, and going on long hikes and then greatly wishing he was back indoors. Matt has been covering the entertainment industry for over two years and will fight to his dying breath that Hulk and Black Widow make a good couple.