It is amazing how time flies. A couple of years ago, it was first announced that Star Wars was returning to the big screen with a new trilogy. Now we are just four short months away from seeing the seventh installment in the saga and it still can’t get here fast enough. However, director J.J. Abrams is slowly revealing more about his ambitious sequel and we have a new handful of images to scrutinize courtesy of EW. 

 

Finn & Rey on the Run

 

It has been widely known that Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) are the new young faces of the Star Wars franchise. It seems that this is part of the duo’s escape from Jakku, early on in the film. It is only fitting that we are introduced to them first.

 

Rey & BB8

 

It seems that this is when Rey acquires or gives away, the charismatic droid BB8. (How cool is that alien ride?) It should be noted that this picture is a clear allusion to Luke and Obi-Wan getting R2D2 and C3PO in a A New Hope. Judging from the picture of her and Finn, she is about to get into a serious scuffle when the Stormtroopers appear.

 

Poe Dameron Reporting for Duty

 

Judging from the photo, which actually looks more like a publicity still, Poe (Oscar Isaac) is about to pilot a craft. His uniform is clean and he does not look like someone who just came from a dogfight. Poe is expected to be a major part of the trilogy and with an actor as dynamic as Isaac, there is reason to get excited for the new face of X-Wing Fighter pilots.

 

Keepers of the Force

 

In this picture, The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan make rewrites to their film on the set. It has got to be a comfort for Abrams to have co-written the film with the guy who wrote The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Star Wars credibility does get any better than that. He will be co-writing the Han Solo spin-off film with his son, as well as helping on the story for a variety of Star Wars movies. Along with Kathleen Kennedy, these are the individuals using the Force to guide the franchise into the future.

 

Kylo Ren

 

J.J. Abrams opened up about Kylo, played by Adam Driver, in his piece with EW. He explains that his mask is a “nod to the Vader mask” and it seems that Kylo is a big fan of the former Sith lord. They also confirm that he built the hilted lightsaber that is the talk of the town. Abrams and Kasdan raved that he will be something that hasn’t been seen before in the Star Wars cinematic universe. Judging from all the signals, expect a big familial reveal for the character during the course of the movie.

 

Captain Phasma

 

Gwendoline Christie is playing the chromed-out Captain Phasma. Very little is known about her character beyond the fact that she looks badass, even when she is just standing around. They have made a point in every step of marketing to feature the new character, so expect her to be a memorable adversary, a la Boba Fett.

 

General Hux

 

Domhnall Gleeson’s role in this movie has been quietly kept a secret. There are a swirl of rumors about the character’s lineage and it would be easy to make a few assumptions based simply on his look. It’s unclear if he is the new Moff Tarkin of the movie, but an actor of his caliber probably has a complex character ready to unfold on the screen.

 

Kylo Ren and the First Order

 

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There was a shot in the trailer which showed Kylo seemingly commanding the First Order (which is the new name for what remains of the Empire.) While it is apparent that Kylo is a warrior himself, it is important to note that he literally has an army behind him.

 

Finn and Crashed TIE Fighter

 

We saw glimpses of this crash sequence in the recent behind-the-scenes video played at Comic Con this year. (Watch it here.) It’s unclear if this is Finn’s ship which has crashed, but it is a safe bet. Surely this is connected to the opening shot from the first trailer of Finn running scared. It’s also cool to see the scale of a TIE Fighter, which we rarely have seen.

 

Old Favorites

 

It is hard to imagine a Star Wars movie without the dynamic droid duo. There had been merchandising material indicating that C3PO was sporting a red replacement arm previously, but this is a solid confirmation. It looks pretty silly, but surely there is an interesting story behind it, that will eventually be fleshed out in this film or in a future movie. R2D2 also seemingly has a role of importance. In the trailer you can see him have a very touching reunion, with a mysterious man with a cybernetic hand. Hmmm… In any case, the moment that R2D2 and C3PO are seen on-screen together, you will know that you are in a galaxy far, far, away.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens on December 18th, 2015.

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Source: EW