Mark Hamill reveals he sadly will not be attending Star Wars Celebration Chicago this weekend. Taking place from April 11 - 15, the convention is expected to be a cornucopia of goodies from the galaxy far, far away. There are several panels planned to spotlight the franchise's biggest upcoming projects, such as Episode IX, The Mandalorian, and Jedi: Fallen Order. These should all bring about exciting trailers for fans to dissect for hours on end.

For attendees, learning new information about movies & TV shows and seeing footage live with a crowd are just a couple of perks of going to Celebration. There are also plenty of opportunities to meet the talent responsible for bringing the galaxy far, far away to life, getting autographs and pictures with everyone from the biggest series stars to supporting players. Unsurprisingly, Lucasfilm's assembled a top-notch roster of creatives and actors that'll be in the Windy City for the next few days. However, one key figure who won't be there is the one and only Luke Skywalker.

Related: Luke Was Right - Star Wars 9 Should End the Jedi (& The Sith)

Hamill took to Twitter today to share that he won't be making the trip, though he wishes he could. Check out his post in the space below:

Hamill had a large presence at Celebration Orlando, which took place in April 2017. He was part of the 40th anniversary panel, the Last Jedi panel, and also hosted a tribute to the late, great Carrie Fisher. It goes without saying Hamill's a beloved Star Wars icon and fans thoroughly enjoy seeing him up on the stage and hearing stories about his various Star Wars experiences. Hence, it's sad he won't be in Chicago. Hamill didn't provide a reason for his absence, but most would agree he's earned a reprieve from the madness. It's definitely possible he'll attend another Celebration in the future, as long as schedules line up.

With Hamill not being in Chicago, it more or less confirms his confirmed role in Episode IX will be minor. It made sense for him to be on hand to promote The Last Jedi, as the film's title was a direct reference to the Luke Skywalker character and Hamill had one of the biggest roles in the movie. But with Luke now a Force ghost, chances are he'll show up for just a scene or two so he can share some sagely wisdom with Rey during a time of need (or, in an amusing twist, haunt Kylo Ren). Since Episode IX is ending the Skywalker saga, it would have been nice if Hamill was there for the festivities, but the sequel trilogy cast is more than capable of headlining a panel themselves.

More: The Original Story of Luke Skywalker's Sister (Before It Was Leia)

Source: Mark Hamill