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

Mark Hamill's unexpected appearance as Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian stands as one of the most thrilling surprises in the annals of Star Wars. Rosario Dawson shared an intriguing anecdote during Star Wars Celebration about her own astonishment when Hamill appeared on the set of The Book of Boba Fett, a surprise she was unaware of until the moment it happened.

To keep this monumental secret under wraps, showrunners Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau cleverly used Jedi Master Plo Koon as a decoy in the scripts, a tactic aimed at preventing leaks. Dawson, like other cast members, was given scripts where Luke's scenes were replaced with Plo Koon's, which led to her initial confusion. As she recounted, reading about Plo Koon's supposed return in The Book of Boba Fett script perplexed her, especially since fans knew of his demise 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 mused. The surprise was complete when Mark Hamill himself appeared on set, humorously dismissing the Plo Koon ruse by saying, "Plo Koon? That wouldn't even make sense!" Dawson, caught off guard, 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, with Filoni admitting, "That was bad on us!" and adding with a chuckle, "We assumed you'd gotten told the right information. We were in it so much." Favreau highlighted the intense secrecy surrounding the project, noting, "There were two secrets we knew we had to keep on the show. One was Grogu's reveal at the end of the first episode, and the other one was Luke Skywalker at the end of season two. We were biting our nails all the 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."

Dawson took the surprise in stride, jokingly saying, "I love it, they know I can't be trusted."

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

This behind-the-scenes story not only showcases the lengths to which the creators went to maintain secrecy but also adds a delightful layer of surprise and humor to the production of these beloved Star Wars series.