There were plenty of directors who didn’t want the gig to begin with, but it’s hard to believe that J.J. Abrams wouldn’t end up doing Star Wars: Episode VII. Very hard. So let us stress that these are RUMORS. Rumors have been wrong before.

Devin Faraci of Badass Digest is reporting that it’s possible – possible – that Abrams may be dropping out of Star Wars. “This has been something I’ve heard for a while now, and from multiple insiders,” he said. “This weekend at Comic Con I continued to hear these whispers.” Lucasfilm, for their part, has denied any truth to the rumors, saying, “J.J. is having a great time working on the script and is looking forward to going into production next year.” Part of the speculation stems from the fact that Star Trek 3 has yet to lure a director. Both Star Trek and Star Wars are slated to begin shooting next spring, so the idea that Abrams could work on both is all but moot. The idea instead is that he would jump ship for the more familiar property and, possibly, more creative control, including sway over where the film would shoot. Abrams was reportedly unhappy with the decision to shoot Star Wars in England rather than L.A.

Telling could be a pair of upcoming Star Wars events. First is the Disney D23 event in Anaheim in mid August. While this will largely be fan service over hard news on upcoming films, the potential for cast appearances certainly puts pressure on Abrams. Likewise, as Faraci says, “I’m expecting Star Wars news out of the German Star Wars Celebration at the end of the month – if there is some sort of announcement of a title or casting and Abrams isn’t there, start wondering.”