J.J. Abrams Talks About Luke Skywalker As A Myth In Star Wars: The Force Awakens

11/30/2015 12:50 pm EST

One of the biggest questions on the minds of Star Wars fans during this final run up to the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been, "Where is Luke Skywalker?" The Jedi hero of the original trilogy has been absent from all trailers and promotional materials for the film, and fans are eager to know what has become of the farm boy from Tatooine.

It was a different question about Luke Skywalker that actually spawned the story of The Force Awakens. That question, asked by producer Kathleen Kennedy to director J.J. Abrams, was, "Who is Luke Skywalker?"

"The idea that Luke Skywalker now, nearly 40 years after the movie came out, I started thinking he would be as good as of a myth to people who are 19, 20 years old," Abrams said during an interview on ABC's Good Morning America. "The idea of a new group of young people, not knowing who he is or who any of the characters were, is the beginning of what became the story of the film."

That idea can be applied on two levels. On one hand, the film's younger heroes seem unfamiliar with the concepts of the Jedi, the Sith, and the Force as anything but legend. The once skeptical Han Solo is seen explaining the truth of these ideas in the latest of the film's trailers.

On the other hand, the current generation of moviegoers mostly missed out on the opportunity to see Luke's original adventures in theaters, yet still have the character ingrained in their consciousness thanks to Star Wars' inescapable presence in popular culture, much like a myth.

Check out when Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie and other movies are coming out in ComicBook.com's Movie Release Schedule.

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