It has been an exciting day to be a Star Wars fan. After over a year of speculation over what exactly Episode VIII will be about, most fans had already determined that Luke Skywalker would be a prominent fixture, following his cameo at the end of Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. That much has now been made crystal clear, with the official reveal that the next Star Wars movie is titled Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi.

Since the announcement was made, fans around the world have begun to dissect the title to uncover the possible multiple meanings it could have. The most obvious case points to The Last Jedi being a direct reference to Luke, but theories about its meaning for Rey or even Kylo Ren have kept fans theorizing. With most fans now onboard with the Episode VIII title, there is one more fan to take into account: none other than Luke himself, Mark Hamill.

Shortly after the title announcement, the Associated Press had the chance to ask Hamill for his thoughts on the title. While initially Hamill says he hadn't wanted to know the title during the film's production (for fear of revealing it as he spoke in his sleep), once he did learn it and kept the secret, he became a fan of what writer/director Rian Johnson had chosen - saying, "It's straight forward and minimalist and I like that."

Star Wars Celebration 2016 - Luke badge artwork

If Hamill was truly afraid he was going to leak the title at some point, he should pat himself on the back for a job well done and not giving away anything so far. The fact of the matter is, he and basically everyone else involved with Episode VIII has known the title since very early on, with Johnson having said that he determined the title upon finishing his first script draft. Hamill's take on the title appears to be similar to the larger Star Wars fan base - where the fewer the details, the better it is.

Yes, The Last Jedi subtitle does give some indicators as to what the story will be about, but much like the fuss made over deciphering the meaning behind The Force Awakens, fans will most likely have to wait until December to really figure out what it means. That said, this should not (and frankly will not) stop fans from continuing to wonder what it could mean for their favorite characters and the light side as a whole. We should get a better grasp as to what the title means as we move closer to both the film's release and its marketing campaign.

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy previously indicated that a teaser for The Last Jedi will be released this spring - so as fans keep themselves busy with the title, they can take comfort in knowing that their first proper look at the movie, is making its way down the pipeline quickly now.

Source: Associated Press

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