In Entertainment Weekly’s special Star Wars issue, they have a sit down with Star Wars: The Force Awakens Director J.J. Abrams. In the interview and special feature pieces, they cover everything from sets to characters, especially the noticeable absence of Luke Skywalker in the trailers.
It is a fact that Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is in the new film, in what capacity? Well, that remains to be seen. Abrams has a couple quick notes to ease people’s concerns, and why he hasn’t been seen all that much in the trailers and promotional pieces leading up to the film’s release next month (whoa it’s only a month away!!!):
We were hoping people would care, but there are a lot of things that are not on the poster, as busy as the poster is. Certainly Luke is a very important aspect of the story.
Phew!
Abrams also mentions that characters like Skywalker, Leia, & Han Solo, are interesting bits of the continued Star Wars storyline being fleshed out. The Force Awakens takes place decades after the Jedi were known to be “extinct,” and the heroes and heroines as we know them, well maybe they’ve changed:
…the idea that doing a story that took place nearly 40 years after Jedi meant that there would be a generation for whom Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia would be as good as myth.
In the same interview with EW, John Boyega who plays the former Stormtrooper Finn is fascinated by some of these same questions and philosophies surrounding the Star Wars universe as it develops:
He’s been taught about Luke Skywalker, he knows about his history. For him it’s like joining the army and then learning about one of the great enemies of your country. It has that effect on him. But in terms of the Force, and the magical stuff that happens, that is the point where Finn kind of questions what is what. What is the Force, what part does Luke Skywalker play in all of this?
Definitely fascinating questions. To me, it seems great that the characters we’re being introduced to will be pretty fleshed out, they’ll have dilemmas and will be relatable. What do you think, are you looking forward to discovering just where and when Skywalker will be in the film? What are you hoping Abram and the crew do with these iconic characters? Let us know!
