Apparently after learning that Luke Skywalker only appeared in the final scene of The Force Awakens, Mark Hamill was hesitant to return to the series. He believed that it could be silly that he only appeared in the final scene of the film, but J.J. Abrams assured him that it wouldn’t because everything in the film lead up to that point.. The scene is one of the most poignant in the movie and one of the most emotional, as Luke meets Rey, offered the lightsaber that belonged to his father, Anakin Skywalker, and later belonged to him as he dueled Darth Vader and eventually had his hand cut off. Abrams also had a great little anecdote that most fans probably are not aware of regarding Luke Skywalker/Mark Hamill.
“Hamill was the exact same age as Alec Guinness was when he played Obi-Wan. I’m looking at him in the robes, and with the John Williams music, I start to tear up, and I know that this ending could really work.”
Episode VIII picks up right where The Force Awakens leaves off, with the crew actually re-filming aspects of Luke’s meeting with Rey. Hopefully the film goes into uncharted waters and is unlike any Star Wars film we’ve ever seen.