luckydube56 said:

But ignoring their age would be to ignore the obvious. That in itself would be a disservice to fans. There was nothing more ridiculous than seeing Yoda in the prequels fighting Count Dooku (spelling?).

And at the same time, anyone thinking their role in this film would be to sit in the background and give counsel on occasion is ignoring the obvious signs. They're being asked to get in shape so they can go on the adventures themselves. And in doing so they will realize they can no longer be tip of the spear.

For those resistant to the idea, I've got more bad news, the Millenium Falcon is going to be really old too and breaking down even more than it was before.

And if the rumoured title is indeed "A New Dawn", it just reinforces my idea it will be about turning the reigns over to more physically capable heroes.

Nobody advocates hiding their ages and of course they are making new/younger characters the main focus. The only objection is to making a whole joke out of the thing or making a constant or overt point.

Obi Wan said, "I'm getting too old for this sort of thing." It wasn't supposed to be funny; it wasn't funny. It was a simple statement of truth that wasn't harped on. And he continued on his merry way. Yoda surely showed his age but it wasn't the focus, except for when he was on his deathbed.

What you're saying about the new storyline is surely basically right. It's the comedy and overt recognition of age (as if they've suddenly discovered it when the cameras turned on for E7) you're raising that is objectionable.

Think of King Theoden riding out to war. We didn't need him pointing out how old he is or questions raised about his fighting ability. The audience surely understood as an older man he wouldn't have the strength of a younger man. That is how you handle it. Nobody has suggested hiding their ages or that we believe they are the main focus, continuing their own personal stories.