The continuing conflict in Ukraine has been more of a standoff than anyone could have ever imagined, with the nation deterring Russian forces from entering for several months now. Numerous celebrities have expressed support for Ukraine throughout the years, most recently Star Wars icon Mark Hamill, who accompanied a very straightforward message with an apt work of Star Wars-related art.
Hamill posted a picture of a lone X-wing fighter engaged in combat with an impressive fleet of Imperial Star Destroyers, which is obviously relevant. The X-wing is painted in the colours of the Ukrainian flag to further emphasise the point, and the legend says, "Resist. Sustain Ukraine's cause. Hamill added his own greeting of "May the Force be with you" in addition to this, which is translated as "Niech Moc bdzie z Wami."
The encouraging remark was sent just days after Hamill officially joined UNITED24 and electronically met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Army of Drones initiative, which will, as mentioned, deliver a number of drones, as well as maintain and replace them, as well as give training for their pilots, is the main project the Star Wars star is supporting.
Hamill said to the BBC that Zelensky mentioned several films, including Star Wars, during their conversation about the invasion. Hamill remarked:
"It's not hard to understand why... Star Wars was always a fairytale for children and fairytales are morality tales of good versus evil with clear definitions of good and evil, and it's not hard to extrapolate an evil empire with Russia invading a sovereign nation."
In Hollywood, The Ukraine War Has Been Addressed
The entertainment industry has reacted in a variety of ways since Russia invaded Ukraine at the beginning of the year as an expansion of the Russo-Ukrainian war, which has been raging for almost ten years. This has included numerous major studios delaying the release of some of the biggest films in Russia and streaming services like Netflix ceasing all operations there.
Along with this, there have been numerous tributes and displays of solidarity in Hollywood. For example, Saturday Night Live withheld their opening skit in favour of a subdued tribute to Ukraine shortly after the invasion began, something they only did on extremely infrequent, solemn occasions like after the 9/11 attack on New York. In the summer, it was reported that Marvel's Secret Invasion had to go through some reshoots in order to avoid certain similarities to the events in Ukraine. Director Michael Bay had previously spoken out against how the world had become more interested in Will Smith's Oscars slap than the terrible events happening in Europe.
The fight in Ukraine is still far from over, but it appears that with ongoing support from nations around the globe, it is obvious that, as Hamill stated, the Force will be with the nation until the end of the conflict, whatever that may be.
