Luke Skywalker Actor Mark Hamill On The Classic Star Wars Scene That "Horrified" Him

Luke Skywalker may only featured briefly in 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but the iconic character is set make a big return to the blockbuster series next month, when The Last Jedi hits theaters. Actor Mark Hamill, who first played role back in 1977, has been speaking about his time in the series and has revealed one moment that he is not a fan of.

When a fan posted an image of a gruesome Star Wars themed-cake, playing tribute to the moment in The Empire Strikes Back in which Luke chops off a Wampa's arm, Hamill had a surprising response.

"When filming [the] scene I was assured my lightsaber swipe toward camera (creature not on set) would simply singe fur to scare him off," the actor tweeted. "[I was] horrified to later see amputation and unnecessary cruelty. Wampa was HUNGRY (not EVIL). Luke would never do this!"

The matter didn't end there however. After Hamill confirmed that he was "serious" about this issue, another fan brought up the fact that in A New Hope, Luke boasts that he used to "bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back home." Hamill then explained that there was a big difference between those Tatooine-based creatures and the giant ice monsters of Hoth. "Womprats are aggressive, oversized disease-ridden rodents that threatened the family farm," he said. "Not the same."

Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theaters on December 15. There has been plenty of promotional activity for the movie over past couple of weeks, including a TV spot in which Chewie smacks a Porg, and another that focuses on Luke's relationship with Rey.

In related news, it was revealed earlier this month that Last Jedi director Rian Johnson will write and direct a new Star Wars trilogy. Work on the next set of movies will begin after the release of JJ Abrams' Episode IX in 2019. In addition, Disney is planning a live-action Star Wars TV show, which will be available on its upcoming streaming service.