I think it’s pretty safe to assume that following Return of the Jedi, the majority of fans expected Luke Skywalker to pass on what he had learned about the ways of the Force to his sister Leia. However, as we’ve seen from the marketing campaign of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Leia is not a Jedi, but rather a general of the Resistance. So, why hasn’t she followed in Luke’s footsteps? Here’s J.J. Abrams to explain:
“It’s funny because in talking about this even with George Lucas, the question of at what age can someone learn the Force and become a Jedi, I would like to think that there’s not much of a ticking clock and it’s never too late,” Abrams tells IGN. “But it’s a great question and one we talked about quite a bit, even with Carrie Fisher, if there was another, why did she not take advantage of this Force strength that the character had. One of the answers was that it was simply a choice that she made, that her decision to run the Rebellion and ultimately the Resistance and consider herself a General as opposed to a Jedi. It was simply a choice that she took – not that there was any regret that she did could have and didn’t. But clearly we’ve seen and we do again that she’s still Force strong and it’s something that I think is an intrinsic piece of her character.”
SEE ALSO: The Star Wars Films That Never Got Made
SEE ALSO: Follow all of our Star Wars coverage here
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is set for release on December 17th in the UK and December 18th in the States and sees J.J. Abrams directing returning stars Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and Tim Rose (Admiral Ackbar), in addition to Adam Driver (Girls), Oscar Isaac (A Most Violent Year), Andy Serkis (Avengers: Age of Ultron), Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina), John Boyega (Attack the Block), Daisy Ridley (Silent Witness), Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones), Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave), Ken Leung (Lost), Miltos Yerolemou (Game of Thrones), Max von Sydow (The Exorcist), Jessica Henwick (Spirit Warriors), Christina Chong (24: Live Another Day), Simon Pegg (Star Trek) and newcomers Crystal Clarke and Pip Andersen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=3AMx7tPsXgQ
Originally published December 7, 2015. Updated April 15, 2018.
