'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Director Talks Luke Skywalker, Theories On Where The Character Is In Upcoming Film

For as long as there have been “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” teasers, there have been fans asking where in the world the original trilogy’s principal character, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), is. Now, with the film a little more than one month from theaters, director J.J. Abrams is once again quelling fans' fears that the character won’t be significant in the film.

For those who don’t know, the seventh movie in the “Star Wars” franchise is bringing back key characters from the originals such as Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). Hamill’s character is returning as well, but the director has left him conspicuously out of every teaser trailer, poster and promotion for the upcoming movie. It’s even forced some of his co-stars to dodge questions about the iconic hero in interviews. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Abrams reassured fans that there is a method to his madness.

“No one forgot about him,” he said. “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.”

As previously reported, the director claims that the decision not to tease Skywalker ahead of the film’s release was done in an effort to protect the character's storyline. However, even the most diehard “Star Wars” fans can only speculate as to what that storyline could be.

[POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT]

As CinemaBlend notes, many people believe that the movie will reveal a twist that shows Skywalker has become a Sith Lord or some other kind of evil character in the 30 years since viewers last saw him in “Return of the Jedi.” Fortunately for fans who hope Skywalker remains a good guy, there are other theories that explain why Abrams is keeping him a secret. The outlet notes that the film will deal with the galaxy’s perception of the rebel leader following the events of the original trilogy.

After all these years, Skywalker has become somewhat of a propaganda piece for evil and disorder in the galaxy. If the First Order is looking to exact revenge for what the hero did back then, odds are good he’d have to be in hiding while he adventures around as a Jedi knight. While he may be perceived as a villain by the other characters in the film, Skywalker could still be the person we loved in “Return of the Jedi.” As Wired notes in its rumors roundup, many expect the reason for Luke’s secrecy to be that he’s simply on the run or in exile.

Unfortunately, only time will tell, as Abrams seems to be keeping the big reveal a secret for those who pay for a ticket to see the film when it’s released Dec. 18.