Are Force ghosts going to have a big part to play in The Rise of Skywalker? J.J. Abrams may have just said an awful lot without saying anything at all. The movie, which is being billed as the final chapter in the Skywalker saga, is just a month away, which means we're going to see a whole lot of Abrams and the cast dodging questions in interviews until it finally hits theaters. However, Abrams' dodge in a recent interview may have been quite telling.

J.J. Abrams, who also directed The Force Awakens, was recently interviewed for a big cover story about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Toward the end of the story, it's suggested that the movie may turn into a "full-fledged reunion special of Force ghosts." Given that the rules on what Force ghosts can and can't do remain unclear. When Abrams was asked about it, he largely abstained in providing a real answer. Here's what he had to say.

"That's probably best answered by not answering it."

It's not, generally speaking, a big deal when J.J. Abrams chooses to avoid revealing anything about one of his projects, especially when that project takes place in a galaxy far, far away. Yet, if we weren't going to see some new Force ghost business in Episode IX, why shy away from it? We know for sure Mark Hamill will return as a Force ghost, following his fate in The Last Jedi. But who else could pop up? Is there a chance we'll see Yoda again? What about some sort of Dark Side Force spirit? Abrams isn't willing to take any of that off the table.

The Last Jedi expanded upon our larger understanding of the Force. Specifically, Force ghosts. At one point, Yoda visits Luke and calls upon a lightning bolt to burn all of the old Jedi books. Yet, previously, Obi-Wan's ghost told Luke that he "cannot interfere" in The Empire Strikes Back. What counts as interference? What can Force ghosts do? What can't they do? At the very least, Abrams seems to be suggesting we'll learn a bit more in the finale to this sequel trilogy. Further helping make that case is when Abrams, elsewhere in the interview, reveals there is much we haven't seen.

"The [trailers] that have come out are scratching the surface of what the movie is."

Palpatine's return seems far more sizable than a glorified Force ghost cameo, but the fact that he's returning suggests we're going to learn a lot about what's possible with the Force. Who knows? Maybe we'll see some sort of epic battle between several Force-wielding spirits? Or maybe we're reading too much into this. But speculation is mostly what we're left with for now. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20. This news comes to us via Entertainment Weekly.