Even though George Lucas sold Lucasfilm and all of the company’s properties to The Walt Disney Company back in 2012, the creator of Star Wars has still been very influential in the creation of new movies, TV shows and more. Not only have creators at Lucasfilm tried to emulate the spirit and style of what George Lucas created back in 1977, but Lucas himself has met with plenty of writers, directors and artists to talk more about the galaxy that came from his imagination. Therefore it should come as no surprise that J.J. Abrams talked to George Lucas about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but what might be somewhat surprising is that their discussion turned to Midi-chlorians, perhaps the most divisive element introduced in the prequel trilogy.

In the latest issue of Total Film (via sister site Games Radar), The Rise of Skywalker director J.J. Abrams talked about this discussion with George Lucas while he was working on the ending of the Skywalker saga and this new trilogy. What did George have to say? Abrams explained:

“He had a lot of things to say about the nature of the Force, the themes that he was dealing with when he was writing the movies. Yes, there were some conversations about Midi-chlorians – he loves his Midi-chlorians. But it was a very helpful thing. Sitting with him is a treat, just to hear him talk, because it’s fucking George Lucas talking about Star Wars. I always feel it’s a gift to hear him talk about that stuff. Because the effect that he had on me at 10 years old is utterly profound.”

Does this mean Midi-chlorians will come up again in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker? That seems unlikely. Midi-chlorians are one element of Star Wars that hasn’t really been mentioned much ever since Disney bought Lucasfilm. That’s largely because it’s been deemed one of the worst additions to Star Wars canon in the entire saga. It essentially dictates that a person must have something in their blood that makes them strong in the Force. That’s something the new trilogy has kept their distance from, and I doubt J.J. Abrams would suddenly start leaning into that, especially when he went out of his way to be more bold this time.

However, we don’t know much about Rey’s familial history beyond what Kylo Ren said to her in Star Wars: The Last Jedi., so we’re not sure if she’s someone who came to be in tune with the Force naturally, or if it’s something that has been inside her due to some kind of family legacy. If that’s the case, it just a matter of whether she’s part of the Skywalker bloodline, a descendant of Obi-Wan Kenobi, or maybe even Sheev Palpatine. Would that weaken the concept of anyone becoming a Jedi? We’re not sure, but maybe that’s something Lucas and Abrams discussed.

It would be interesting if the Force itself evolved over time and came to make itself present in all living things beyond Midi-chlorians. After the death of countless Jedi at the end of the prequel trilogy and the near-total eradication of Force sensitive beings (as evidenced by the fact that people like Luke Skywalker are regarded as myth or legend when The Force Awakens begins). If evolution has taught us anything it’s that living things will do anything to survive when faced with the prospect of extinction. Perhaps the Force came back in a big way when the galaxy needed it the most. Darkness rises and light to meet it.