Rosario Dawson Surprised by Mark Hamill's Return as Luke Skywalker on The Mandalorian Set - Star Wars Celebration

The surprise appearance of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in *The Mandalorian* stands as one of the most memorable moments in Star Wars history. Rosario Dawson, who joined the franchise in *The Book of Boba Fett*, shared a fascinating story at Star Wars Celebration about how she was completely taken aback by Hamill's cameo. She had no prior knowledge of his involvement until he actually walked onto the set.

To maintain the secrecy surrounding Luke's cameo, Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau cleverly used Jedi Master Plo Koon as a decoy in the scripts. This tactic was employed to mislead potential leakers and keep the surprise intact. Dawson, like other cast members, was given scripts that referenced Plo Koon's arrival, which left her puzzled given his known fate in *Revenge of the Sith*.

"I was like... I don't know... but people disappear and then they come back, so maybe it's possible?" Dawson recounted her confusion. Her bewilderment turned into astonishment when Mark Hamill appeared on set. Hamill himself humorously remarked on the absurdity of Plo Koon's involvement, saying, "Plo Koon? That wouldn't even make sense!" to which Dawson responded, "I know it didn't make sense, but I still had to think it made sense because I got the script and everything!"

Filoni and Favreau expressed their regret for not informing Dawson earlier, admitting, "That was bad on us!" Filoni added with a laugh, "We assumed you'd gotten told the right information. We were in it so much." Favreau highlighted the intense efforts to keep two major secrets on the show: Grogu's reveal at the end of the first episode and Luke Skywalker's appearance at the end of season two. "We were biting our nails all the way the whole way through, and we somehow miraculously made it cleanly to both of those because everything else leaked. But, unfortunately, we didn't fill in our partner here," he explained.

Dawson took the surprise in stride, jokingly saying, "I love it, they know I can't be trusted." This behind-the-scenes story adds another layer of intrigue and excitement to the already beloved Star Wars universe.

Concept art of Plo Koon made to throw off leaks. Image Credit: Disney & Lucasfilm