It’s another loaded episode of Hollywood After Dark, and this one’s got range—from living legends refusing to quit to billion-dollar franchises fumbling their tone. Here’s a breakdown of everything we covered in the June 29th episode:
Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker Headcanon Hits Hard
Nearly eight years after The Last Jedi, Mark Hamill is still having to explain the emotional logic behind his version of Luke Skywalker. In a recent interview, he revealed a devastating personal backstory he created—one involving a lost child and a grieving, suicidal partner—that gave his performance emotional weight. None of that was in the script. And it reinforces what fans have long felt: even Hamill didn’t buy what Disney did to Luke. He just did what actors do—he filled in the gaps because the story didn’t.
James Gunn’s Superman Feels Like a Shiny Misfire
We want to be excited for Superman (2025)—we really do. But between the Silver Age throwbacks, robot sidekicks, and tonal whiplash from what we’ve seen so far, this reboot feels less like a grounded reinvention and more like cosplay with a $200 million budget. James Gunn is a great storyteller, but Superman isn’t an underdog, and treating him like one feels misguided. Krypto the Superdog? Superman robots? Alan Tudyk recycling his K-2SO voice? The ingredients don’t add up. And if this is the new DCU’s foundation, it already feels a little cracked.
Steven Spielberg Refuses to Quit—and Thank God for That
While the industry gets swallowed by IP recycling and AI nonsense, Steven Spielberg—at 78—is out here reminding everyone how it’s done. With a Western reportedly in the works and no plans to retire, the man who gave us Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park, and Saving Private Ryan continues to build on a legacy that shaped Gen X, Zennials, and Millennials alike. Spielberg doesn’t just make movies—he makes culture. And we’re lucky he still wants to.
Hollywood Reporter Comes for Denis Villeneuve—and We’re Not Having It
In the wildest take of the week, The Hollywood Reporter suggested that Dune and Sicario director Denis Villeneuve might be too serious to handle James Bond. Because apparently Bond movies need to be funny now? Let’s be real: Villeneuve understands tone, tension, and high-stakes emotional complexity better than almost anyone working today. If he wants to make a Bond movie, let him cook. And stop acting like the franchise needs another quippy Roger Moore revival. It doesn’t. It needs vision—and Villeneuve has plenty of that.
Hollywood After Dark 