We Aren't Taking Mark Hamill's Advice About 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Anticipation

Mark Hamill knows a thing or two about Star Wars. As Luke Skywalker, he was not only the star of the original trilogy, he's reprising the role over thirty years later in December's ultra-anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens. However with many months left until release, the actor has some advice for fans who are eagerly awaiting the film. Fans like me, you, pretty much anyone reading this site. His advice is to "relax" and "forget about it." "It will be here before you know it," he says.

Sorry, Mark, that's not going to happen.

Read Hamill's full quote about Force Awakens anticipation, and our response, below.

Hamill was talking to the Los Angeles Times about his small role in Kingsman: The Secret Service when he began talking about Star Wars. Here's what he said about Force Awakens anticipation:

I wish people would just relax. We're not trying to play games with people. We just want to maximize their experience at the movies where it should be seen and not have it leaked over the Internet. Believe me, it will be here before you know it. Forget about it, that's my advice. Look forward to all the summer movies. I'm telling you, it's just a movie. These people that build it up in their minds like it's going to be the second coming of, I don't know what — they're bound to be disappointed.

He continues:

It's exciting from the standpoint that it's the first of the movies in that universe that's conceived and directed by the fan generation. We've never had that before. Now, Larry Kasdan is one of the old-timers like us, but the captain of the ship is J.J. Abrams and he was a fan of the series, which I find very interesting. They're going to have an input into how things are done in a way that was impossible in the more autonomous period of George's [Lucas] reign. I hope it's a hit!

I would absolutely love to take Hamill's advice here. I'd love to only think about Furious 7 now, then Avengers, then Tomorrowland, Jurassic World, Ant-Man, etc. But this is Star Wars. For some of us, Star Wars is something we've always known. It's in our DNA. My mom showed me the movie at 2 years old and I've been hooked ever since. The fact there's a new sequel coming out is one of the most exciting movie related events of my life.

Plus there's this. Anticipation is a safety blanket. Imagine you sit down in the theater on December 18 and J.J. Abrams disappoints. Everything was for naught. Well, if that happens (I don't think it will be stay with me here), if you enjoyed the anticipation leading up to it, at least you'll have that. You'll have the excitement of a new image being released. The hours spent poring over a new trailer. Discussions amongst friends about new characters, rumors and spoilers. To me, this whole mountain of anticipation is almost as exciting as the film itself. Then, if the film stinks, at least I'll have some positive experiences.

That's why I'm not as down on the prequels as other people. The movies are not that good but, for each one, I was all over the pre-film discussion. I have legitimate fond memories and stories about seeing every single trailer and poster for the first time. I remember the moment I first saw Darth Maul and General Grievous. The time I spend waiting in line for tickets or buying toys. Who lines up at midnight to buy toys that will be available everywhere? This guy did. Twice. These were all rewarding, fun events in my life. And then, even when the movies disappointed, it didn't matter as much. My memories were still strong.

So no, Mr. Hamill. While I respect you to no end and totally understand the sentiment, I will not forget about it. I will not relax. I will be thinking about The Force Awakens, a lot, right up until that opening crawl.