First Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Trailer Teases A Shocking Return

Right after more than 40 years, the wait is over. The annual Star Wars fan convention, Star Wars Celebration, officially kicked off in Chicago on Friday (April 12) with the anticipated first look at J.J. Abrams's Star Wars: Episode IX, right now formally titled Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.


Picking up "some time" immediately following the events of Star Wars: The Last Jedi — in which the Resistance suffered significant losses against The initial Categorize — The Rise of Skywalker finds Rey, Finn, Poe, and firm embarking on an adventure with each other. What that journey entails is still somewhat unclear, yet the teaser does distribute us a clue in its final moments, as our heroes gaze out at what generally seems to be the wreckage of the Death Star.


"No one's ever really gone," the voice of Luke Skywalker says before the clip ends with Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's evil laugh. Actor Ian McDiarmid confirmed Palpatine's shocking return by appearing on the Celebration stage moments soon after.


The trailer also includes a dazzling starting sequence of Rey using her Force powers — Luke's lightsaber in hand — to jump over a TIE fighter in what looks like a showdown with Kylo Ren, who's sadly back in his emo phase and wearing the helmet he previously destroyed in Episode VIII. (Let those locks flow, Kylo!) Billy Dee Williams made his grand return to the franchise, also, reprising the role of that smooth-talking scoundrel Lando Calrissian. Asked what it seemed like to play the character again decades later, Williams mentioned in earnest, "Lando never abandoned me


While Abrams and the cast couldn't reveal also much about the film while in the panel — though, moderator and Star Wars superfan Stephen Colbert tried his best — we did learn several morsels of statistics, like the fact that (unfortunately) Kylo Ren not appear partially shirtless in this flick. On a more serious note, Abrams also opened up about the inclusion of the late Carrie Fisher in the film. The teaser shows a tender scene between General Leia and Rey, and according to Abrams, Fisher's scenes in Episode IX are actually unused footage from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.


"The weird miracle of having had a couple of scenes from The Force Awakens that hadn’t been used was that we might use those scenes to continue her story so that it could be her," he mentioned. "The crazy thing is how not crazy it feels because she is there in these scenes. Leia lives in this film in a way that is sort of mind-blowing to me."


Abrams confirmed that they're still editing and doing visual effects on the film, nevertheless the use of practical effects — as seen in The Force Awakens — is still integral to the heart of the storytelling. Case in point, a tiny new droid by the name of DO (D-O? Dio?) Made its debut on stage. DO can be seen in the teaser alongside its buddy BB-8:


"The thing I think about all of the time is the responsibility we have," Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy mentioned while in the panel. "It's something we talk about every minute while we’re making these movies." Though, for Episode IX — the final chapter in the beloved Skywalker saga — the enormity of the moment, and the wish to stay true to George Lucas's vision while adding even more depth for modern crowds, was felt by each person. It's truly the end of an era.


Yet first, let's watch Rey jump over that TIE fighter again.


Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters December 20, 2019.