Skip to main content

J.J. Abrams responds to Star Wars fans' questions about Luke Skywalker

There’s been no shortage of discussion regarding the latest trailer and recent marketing campaign for Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, and quite a bit of that buzz has to do with the conspicuous absence of one particular character from the original trilogy that we know for a fact is in the film: Luke Skywalker.

Speculation abounds regarding the reasons behind the minimal presence of actor Mark Hamill’s iconic character in the trailer, posters, and other teasers for the film, and director J.J. Abrams recently confirmed that the lack of Luke Skywalker is indeed very intentional.

Recommended Videos

Asked by the Associated Press about Luke’s whereabouts in The Force Awakens marketing campaign, Abrams only added fuel to the speculative fire.

“These are good questions to be asking, [and] I can’t wait for you to find out the reason,” he responded. “It’s no accident.”

Thus far, one of the only significant glimpses of Hamill’s character has been a blink-and-you-miss-it moment in the recent trailer depicting a cloaked figure reaching out to the droid R2-D2. The figure is sporting a cybernetic hand — much like Skywalker — so it’s assumed (but not confirmed) that this is Hamill’s character.

With the long-awaited sequel now just a few months away from its premiere, Disney and Lucasfilm are beginning to build anticipation in earnest with various teasers and promotional materials, while the film itself is still being tweaked to attain the proper visual effects. Abrams discussed the post-production a bit in the same interview, and provided a status update of sorts on The Force Awakens.

“The visual effects process goes on for so long, my guess is that we’ll probably be doing visual effects for the next three or four weeks even though the cut will be done before then,” he said. “We’re in the editing room, and you know working on the cut, going over visual effects and doing reviews. We still have another scoring session with John Williams, who is a god when it comes to music, and so it’s been an ongoing surreal experience and I just cannot wait for the movie to be out in the world.”

Set 30 years after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens introduces a new set of heroes and villains to the Star Wars universe, while also bringing back a long list of fan-favorite characters from the previous films. The film stars returning cast members Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker, as well as newcomers John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow, Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Anderson, Christina Chong, and Miltos Yerolemou.

Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens hits theaters December 18, 2015.

Rick Marshall
A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…
3 underrated Netflix movies you should watch this weekend (May 16–18)
Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, and Maggie Gyllenhaal in Frank

Feel like you've already watched everything worth seeing on Netflix? Think again! Behind all the flashy blockbusters and trending originals lies a stash of underrated films that didn't get the spotlight but absolutely deserve it. These hidden gems are perfect for viewers in the mood for something different and who don't exactly want to endlessly scroll through countless choices on the streaming giant.

Whether it's an offbeat comedy, an indie sci-fi flick, or a gripping international thriller, there's a unique offering for every type of audience. So this weekend, skip the usual suspects and go off-script. For those willing to venture beyond the algorithm's usual suggestions, these underappreciated movies might just be what your weekend watchlist is missing.

Read more
3 great Hulu movies you need to stream this weekend (May 16 – 18)
Rebecca Ferguson and Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.

Next weekend, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is probably going to be the action movie of the summer. So there's no better time than to revisit the first five films in the franchise on Hulu. But only one of those flicks is among the three great Hulu movies that you need to stream this weekend.

This week's other selections include a dark drama/thriller as well as a recently premiered Hulu original comedy movie. With selections like these, you can put off going to a movie theater for at least another weekend.

Read more
3 underrated HBO Max movies you should watch this weekend (May 16-18)
Kya Clark sits against a tree in Where the Crawdads Sing.

Did you see the latest trailer for Superman? The new footage hammered down the emotional dilemma Superman faces as he tries to find his place in the world. Fans of James Gunn will know the filmmaker has a knack for telling impassioned stories, i.e., the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. Gunn clearly wants to make an emotional superhero epic. We'll find out if that happens on July 11.

Superman will likely stream on HBO Max by the end of 2025. For now, try streaming some under-the-radar movies this weekend. Our suggestions include a South Park documentary, a wild neo-noir, and a mystery romance.

Read more