Marvel is relaunching its flagshipStar Warsseries as it enters the post-Return of the Jediera of the franchise’s timeline – and series artist Phil Noto has revealed that he is creating his take on older versions of iconic heroes like Luke, Leia, and Han the old-fashioned way, by using pictures of Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford from the mid-to-late-1980s as points of reference.
As part of the official announcement ofStar Wars#1, Noto – who joins author Alex Segura – discussed the excitement of getting to forge the next chapter of the franchise’s history. Part of that includes developing the looks ofStar Wars' main characters as they age over the next several years.
According to the artist,he intends to use photographs of the Original Trilogy’s stars as inspiration to help him define the looks of Han, Luke, and Leia as they enter the next phase of their lives.
Phil Noto’s Old-Fashioned Strategy For Establishing The Looks Of Han, Luke, And Leia In The Post-ROTJ Era
Star Wars#1 – Written By Alex Segura; Art By Phil Noto; Available June 20, 2025 From Marvel Comics
Speaking to StarWars.com about the relaunched series, and the franchise’s new era, Phil Noto expressed his excitement about getting to work with aging versions of the character, of which there are only a limited set of visuals fromthe old “Legends” continuity, and of course, the olderSequel Trilogy versions of the characters. Noto said:
It’s also been exciting to draw the classic characters in the post-Return of the Jedi era because there’s no existing film or TV versions of them.I get to create new looks for them while also having reference of the actors from the 80s to help sell the look of this timeline.
In other words, Phil Noto is reaching back to old photos of Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford in the 80s, post-filming ofReturn of the Jedi.
Given the increasing proliferation of AI in all types of art–including theStar Warsfranchise–it is also a refreshing decision to stick to a fully hand-crafted, person-crafted way of doing things.
Noto’s decision to use visual references to aid his work might seem natural at first, but given the increasing proliferation of AI in all types of art–including theStar Warsfranchise–it is also a refreshing decision to stick to a fully hand-crafted, person-crafted way of doing things. Further, because Noto and Segura’s title inaugurates a 30-year stretch of theStar Warstimeline that the comics can cover leading up to the Sequel Trilogy,the creative team is also potentially setting a precedent.
Other Characters, Such As Kylo Ren, Could Get The “Phil Noto Treatment” Down The Line
Keeping AI Use To A Minimum
InThe MandalorianandThe Book of Boba Fetton Disney+,Luke Skywalker’s appearances were made possibleby Mark Hamill’s CGI de-aged face on another actor’s body. This is a fine method to get Legacy actors to appear younger in live-action, but it relies on an assumption of what the character would have looked like later in the timeline. Phil Noto’s method of looking at actors' old photos provides reference to exactly what the character would have looked like at a certain point in the Star Wars timeline. That also opens up speculation about how else this could be applied to the franchise.
“A New, Uncharted Era”: Star Wars Is Ready to Explore the Franchise’s Explosive Future
After the fall of the Empire, what happened to the main heroes, Luke, Leia, and Han will be revealed in the upcoming Star Wars comic by Alex Segura.
Looking at characters set to appear inStar Wars#1,Ben Solo seems to be the one that needs the most de-aging;looking at baby photos of Adam Driver would be the perfect way for Phil Noto to design what a baby Kylo Ren would look like.However, a dilemma arises when a character is played by two different actors, like Ahsoka Tano with Rosario Dawson and Ariana Greenblatt, but only time will tell how other artists deal with that roadblock as they craft futureStar Warsstories.
