Star Wars director J.J. Abrams explained Luke Skywalker’s absence from promotional material for the upcoming Star Wars movie as an attempt to avoid giving away too much of the film.
“I really want to make sure that we’re not ruining the movie for people,” he said in an interview on the Howard Stern Show. “I hate when I see a trailer and I feel like I’ve seen the whole movie in an encapsulated form.”
Fans have speculated on Skywalker’s absence since the release of the film’s first promotional material. Han Solo and Princess Leia both appear, but Skywalker is conspicuously absent.
While Abrams still won’t reveal exactly what happened to Skywalker, although he did reveal the first spoken word in the new movie in an appearance with Jimmy Kimmel last week.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- Coco Gauff Is Playing for Herself Now
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Justin Worland at justin.worland@time.com