Mark Hamill may best be known as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, but the Emmy winner has had a prolific acting career outside of the galaxy far, far away. Up next for him is a role in Peacock's Twisted Metal. Although he's played plenty of eccentric characters throughout his career, his role in the TV series adaptation might be his most unhinged yet.
According to Deadline (via GameFragger), Hamill will play Pope Charlie Kane, the leader of the Eastern Sovereignty and estranged father of Sweet Tooth, in Season 3.
“For Mark Hamill to come into this world with us is amazing. He’s someone I’ve admired for a long time — a true legend who’s influenced generations of actors," said executive producer and star Anthony Mackie. "Being able to now call him a castmate is an incredible honor, and we’re excited to see what he brings to the world of Twisted Metal."
Pope Charlie Kane was actually introduced in Season 2 of the show, although he wasn't shown fully on screen. Based on the character from the video game franchise of the same name, Charlie Kane is the driver of the Yellow Jacket taxi cab. The television series expands his role dramatically, turning him into a post-apocalyptic warlord and religious-style leader who controls what remains of New York.
In the Season 2 finale's post-credits scene, Sweet Tooth is chained behind a Yellow Jacket taxi and taken to meet Charlie. Upon realizing where he's headed, Sweet Tooth whispers, "Daddy?" setting up a major father-son storyline for Season 3.
Peacock's adaptation blends over-the-top vehicular action, bloody violence, and comedy in a story that expands upon the lore of the PlayStation video game franchise. It follows wisecracking courier John Doe (Anthony Mackie) as he transports a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic America. Along the way, he battles raiders, survives deadly road hazards, and crosses paths with the deranged clown Sweet Tooth, eventually teaming up with car thief Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz).
Season 2 expands the story beyond its road-trip roots, with John and Quiet entering the deadly Twisted Metal tournament, most famously portrayed in the video games. Hosted by the mysterious Calypso (Anthony Carrigan), the brutal demolition derby pits them against a host of dangerous drivers while John is reunited with his long-lost sister, Dollface.
Specific plot details for Season 3 have not yet been revealed, but we expect it to pick up shortly after the events of Season 2, which ended with John Doe and Quiet on the run and teaming up with a group of survivors, all vowing to take on Calypso. Showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith, who recently ended his involvement as showrunner and executive producer, previously teased that Pope Charlie Kane and the Eastern Sovereignty will play a major part of the show's future.
David Reed (The Boys, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, The Magicians, Supernatural and Battlestar Galactica) joins the series as showrunner, and will executive produce alongside Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.