Mark Hamill reveals why his 'The Long Walk' costars wanted him to 'stay away'

Mark Hamill has revealed why his The Long Walk castmates kept their distance on set.

For the unversed, the 73-year-old American actor is playing the Major, a scary man who leads boys to their deaths in the forthcoming movie based on a book by Stephen King.

At the San Diego Comic-Con 2025, the actors from The Long Walk were friendly and seen joking with each other, as the movie includes David Jonsson, Charlie Plummer, Cooper Hoffman, Ben Wang, Tut Nyuot, Garrett Wareing, and Judy Greer.

In a talk with PEOPLE magazine, Hamill reflected on the early days of filming in Winnipeg, Canada, by saying, “I had planned to have a get-together, where everybody would come over to the hotel.”

However, Francis Lawrence, the film’s director, had told him that "Cooper doesn't want to meet you. ... He's afraid he'll like you,” the Star Wars: The Last Jedi star added.

He went on to note that Hoffman, who is playing Raymond Garraty, did not want to be friendly because that was part of how he was getting ready to play his role and he “totally respect(ed) that. I understood that, so I canceled [the get-together], and I did it on a case-by-case basis."

Notably, Mark Hamill stated that if his young castmates “came up to me. I'd talk to them. Some of them wanted to stay away, for obvious reasons. Because I'm their archnemesis. I'm the antagonist."

But "as soon as" they completed filming the last scene, Hoffman “immediately came over to my trailer and we talked for hours,” the Invincible recalled.

Jonsson, who is starring as Peter McVries, one of the contestants in the contest, confessed, "I kind of kept some distance from [Hamill while] working just because of the nature of the film. But afterwards, I've spoken to this guy and he's just so funny and so caring and kind and just full of history. I love him.”

Before concluding, it is pertinent to mention that The Long Walk, a dystopian thriller film, will hit cinemas on September 12, 2025, under the banner of Lionsgate Film.