Image source iO9.com
Many fans were disappointed to hear that all those stories from the books and comics from the Star Wars expanded universe were no longer considered canon anymore after J. J. Abrams took over the making of Episode VII. Many were even hoping that Kasdan and Abrams (co-writers of the script) were at least getting some inspiration from it and bring to the big screen some of the beloved characters from the books like Mara Jade, the Solo twins, Ben Skywalker, etc. It is obvious by now that none of those characters made the cut, they are officially non-canon now, and that J. J. Abrams wants to steer away from any resemblance to those stories that we enjoyed for years.
iO9 has a good story on why the movie's co-writers decided to take this path. Continue reading after the break for a summary of the interview with iO9 and our opinion of it. For J. J. Abrams the main question that started the creative process for Episode VII was "What do we want the experience to feel like?" "The team settled on a huge mix of things: exhilaration, thrills, heartbreak, joy, fear and spirituality, to name a few. And that lead them to the next step." “Why are we telling the story at all? If we wanna feel that way, how do we do it? Who are these new characters? ‘Cause this had to be a new story about new people. And that was all gonna be about trying to serve that feeling,” he said. After reading these lines and seeing the teasers and TV spots, we can add that both Abrams and Kasdan were also looking for something else. They want us to feel at home when we see the new Star Wars movie. They want us to have a feeling of nostalgia mixed with the excitement of seeing something new. I think the words said by Han Solo when entering the Millennium Falcon (after all these years) "Chewie, we are home" were meant for all of us. Because the prequels didn't give us that feeling of home, and now with The Force Awakens, the Star Wars saga is back to its roots. 
Image source iO9.com
Abrams had one more thing to say about the expanded universe: “I thought ‘If ideas that come up feel like they overlap and feel like they work? Great,’” he said. “But we can’t adhere to something that is as vast [as the EU], and frankly [is] lesser known than the films.” And he is probably right on this one.
But expanded universe or not, this new chapter in the saga does feel very familiar. We have discussed the similarities between the original trilogy and Episode VII in a previous article. It is safe to conclude now, that having all those similarities is a good thing. That might have been what J. J. Abrams had in mind when he brought in Kasdan as a co-writer instead of just a consultant, as he was supposed to be when Abrams initially called him. The article has one more interesting tidbit of information. It confirms that the main character in the new movie is Rey. When Abrams discussed the changes in the script with Kasdan he mentioned "I know I want this young woman to be at the center of this thing. I know I want this Stormtrooper to abandon his post." This puts Rey at the center of the new trilogy. This, together with Harrison Ford's tweet about Rey's lightsaber fight with Kylo Ren and the action figure spotted at Walmart (in which Rey possesses a lightsaber), pretty much confirms that Rey is our force sensitive character to inherit the responsibility of saving the galaxy. 
Image source iO9.com
Read the full interview here . Only 9 days to go (8 if you have Thursday tickets). Can you believe there are people standing in lines at the theaters already?
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