We're in the midst of a Star Wars renaissance, and a huge debt of gratitude is owed to J.J. Abrams. Revitalizing the series in a major way, Abrams used last year's The Force Awakens as a platform to jumpstart the story of the Skywalker family, and branch off in new directions. Now that he has handed the saga off to new filmmakers, how exactly does he feel about no longer being involved as a Star Wars director? According to the director, it's bittersweet. He explained:

I'd be lying if I said there weren't pangs of regret. Particularly when I realize I won't get to say 'Action!' to Daisy Ridley, or get to work with Mark Hamill in a scene where he gets to speak.

During a recent conversation with Variety, J.J. Abrams addressed the fact that he's no longer a Star Wars director. Although he appears pleased with the current state of the entire Star Wars universe, part of him regrets not being involved as the director of Episode VIII. In particular, he definitely seems bother by the fact that he doesn't get to be the director to work with Mark Hamill when Luke Skywalker says his first on-screen line in decades. This makes plenty of sense to me; movie scenes really don't get more iconic than that.

Of course, it's also worth noting that there are certainly other franchises out there that could use his skillful touch as a filmmaker. If he brings the sort of nerdy passion to the DCEU or the X-Men universe that he brought to Star Wars and Star Trek, those franchises could soon find themselves on much sturdier ground. His time with Star Wars may have come to an end, but there's still plenty of good franchise work left out there. Food for thought, Mr. Abrams.

That being said, we aren't exactly upset about the filmmakers who have stepped in to take the reins from J.J. Abrams. With directors like Gareth Edwards, Rian Johnson, and Colin Trevorrow (just to name a few) slated to helm the future installments in the Star Wars franchise, there's plenty left to get excited about. Let's just hope that these filmmakers can match the skill and geeky enthusiasm that Abrams brought to the table.

Although J.J. Abrams won't be stepping behind the camera for another Star Wars movie any time soon, he still deserves our gratitude. The man brought the once defunct franchise back into the mainstream, and for that we will always be grateful. CinemaBlend will bring you all of the latest and greatest Star Wars news as more details become available; Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will hit theaters on December 16.

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