Mark Hamill’s recent social media post sent Star Wars fans into a frenzy. However, that was far from the actor’s intention. Mark wanted to wish the iconic film star, James Earl Jones, a happy birthday, but his caption misled his followers on Instagram.
James Earl Jones, who starred as Darth Vader in Star Wars movies and voiced Mufasa in The Lion King, turned 93 recently. To celebrate him, Mark wrote, “For the one & only James Earl Jones: A GIANT on both stage & screen! Wishing you all the best on your special day. Proud to be able to call you #DadVader. With love & deep appreciation, Mar.”
Fans got concerned about Mark Hamill’s post about James Earl Jones
For the one & only James Earl Jones: 🎂
A GIANT on both stage & screen!
Wishing you all the best on your special day.
Proud to be able to call you #DadVader.
With love & deep appreciation, Mar🐫 pic.twitter.com/GyMcPHL8oo— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) January 18, 2024
While fans on X, formerly Twitter, got the message, Mark’s Instagram audience thought Jones died. The Kingsman: Secret Service star posted a solo photo of Earl that caused people to think he was making a tribute. “Mark… you need to change the way you do appreciation posts, man,” someone advised.
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Others shared their reactions in the comments, including those who screamed or had a minor heart attack. “I felt a disturbance in the force as if a lot of people sighed in relief all at once reading the description,” a user wrote. “I love how everyone else had the exact same 0.5-second panic attack,” another agreed.
Mark Hamill and James Earl Jones retire their famous roles
While Mark’s recent post threw fans into short-lived fright, his decision to retire from his role as Luke Skywalker was disheartening. Last year, there were rumors of Luke Skywalker returning to a new Star Wars installment based on Daisy Ridley’s Jedi Rey; however, Mark dismissed the news by saying, “I’ve had my time, that’s enough…I mean, they have so many stories to tell, they don’t need Luke anymore.”
Jones had decided to hang up his boots earlier, with his voice as Darth Vader continued through AI. The longtime actor is known for his unique commanding tone, which is now being preserved and recreated by a Ukraine-based startup, Respeecher, in collaboration with Lucasfilm.