Mark Hamill plays Lieutenant Commander Steve "Old Man" Colton in Squadron 42 — a grizzled UEE Navy flight instructor serving aboard the UEES Stanton. The role reunites Hamill with Chris Roberts more than two decades after he starred as Colonel Christopher Blair in Roberts' Wing Commander III and IV. Verified: 2026-10-12.

The Wing Commander reunion

Hamill's casting was announced at CitizenCon on October 10, 2015, fulfilling a promise from the original 2012 crowdfunding campaign: at the $5 million stretch goal, CIG committed to "celebrity voice-acting for Squadron 42; we will bring back at least one favorite from Wing Commander!" Hamill and John Rhys-Davies (also in the Squadron 42 cast) both returned from the Wing Commander games. Hamill later said he signed on without even reading the script — "I accepted immediately because I trust him so deeply."

Who is Steve 'Old Man' Colton?

From official character material: Colton is an institution of the UEE Navy — a pilot who has flown every ship on every kind of mission. His nickname's origin is dark: his entire crew was wiped out on his first mission, and he survived. He is not a people-person; official copy says he doesn't so much teach as "hammer into shape." Underneath, he believes in the Navy and what it stands for. He serves as the rookie player character's flight instructor aboard the UEES Stanton, the Idris-class frigate where much of the campaign takes place.

Hamill described the character in a 2016 interview: "He's a grizzled lifer... He's cranky. He's seen it all."

The recording story

Hamill's involvement stretched across the project's development: first sessions in 2015, then a return engagement around 2023 when Chris Roberts told him "we're ready to finish your part" — about two and a half to three weeks of additional work. (Hamill asked whether he could talk about it; Roberts said yes, but not when the game was coming out.) You can see the character in motion in the 2017 Vertical Slice demo and later official footage collected in our trailer guide.

Fun fact

Hamill also voiced the Merlin computer in the 1999 Wing Commander movie — meaning his Chris Roberts-universe career spans games, film, and now Squadron 42.

For the full ensemble, see the cast table; for the younger pilot aboard the same war, see Henry Cavill's Enright.

Character and production facts sourced to official material and dated interviews via the community wiki. Image: Star Citizen Wiki (starcitizen.tools), CC BY-SA.