Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker director J.J. Abrams has hinted that LGBTQ fans will be “represented” in the upcoming installment of the iconic franchise but stopped short of saying whether the film will feature a gay character.

Speaking to Variety about the relationship between Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and Finn (John Boyega), which some fans have theorized could be a romantic one, Abrams argued that it goes deeper than romance.

“That relationship to me is a far deeper one than a romantic one,” the A-list Hollywood director explained. “It is a deep bond that these two have, not just because of the trial by fire in which they met, but also because of their willingness to be as intimate as they are, as afraid as they, as unsure as they are, and still be bold, and still be daring and brave.”

“And in the case of the LGBTQ community, it was important to me that people who go to see this movie feel that they’re being represented in the film,” Abrams continued.

When asked directly whether there would be a queer character in the film, Abrams reportedly “replied with a smile” but refused to give away specifics. “I will say I’m giving away nothing about what happens in the movie,” he said. “But I did just say what I just said.”

Despite being one of the most universally popular movie franchises of all time, Star Wars has in recent years focused on winning over “woke” audiences to grow their traditional fanbase.

As reported by Breitbart in June, the film’s focus on progressive themes appears to be damaging the Star Wars brand, with both their toys and the theme park attractions performing well below expectations.

As well as top-down insistence on appealing to people on issues of so-called social justice, many of the actors have also added their own “woke” interpretation to the film’s characters. Last year, screenwriter Jonathan Kasdan declared that the iconic character Lando Calrissian was a “pansexual,” while Oscar Isaac insisted his character Poe’s sexuality should be as “fluid as possible.”

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens in theaters everywhere December 20.

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