One thing that director J.J. Abrams has been very clear about regarding "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is that it will treat the original trilogy as canon, which means much of the material from the often loathed prequels will be ignored. During a quick Q&A with MTV, Abrams reiterated this by stating that midi-chlorians will not be present in the new film.
This doesn't mean the prequel trilogy isn't canon; it just means that the team doesn't have to reference them or strictly stick to what the prequels changed in the larger "Star Wars" universe. One of these changes that the prequels did that Abrams will ignore is the existence of midi-chlorians.
For people who aren't aware what these are, midi-chlorians are described in "Episode I: The Phantom Menace" as micro-organisms that affect how sensitive a person is to the Force. The more midi-chlorians a person is born with, the stronger their powers are and the higher their chances are of being a Jedi.
Many fans disapprove of this as it takes away the mystical nature of the Force. In "Episode IV: A New Hope," the Force is better described as a natural energy field created by all living things and only through training and meditation could a person grow to harness the powers of the Force.
"The Force Awakens" doesn't need to mention the existence of midi-chlorians and instead adhere closer to the explanation from "A New Hope." As pointed out in a report from Screen Rant, this doesn't really impact the film's plot in a big manner but it does indicate that this is the direction the new trilogy is taking.
"Episode VIII," which is to be helmed by "Looper" director Rian Johnson, may follow J.J. Abram's lead and pull out references from the original trilogy instead of the prequels. This trend is already starting to become more apparent, as the animated series "Star Wars Rebels" chooses the original trilogy as canon over the inconsistencies from the prequels.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" opens in theaters Dec. 18.
