Star Wars: Episode 9's first trailer is finally here and features an unexpected return

Disney has finally released the first trailer for Star Wars: Episode 9, confirming the title for the movie as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Released during today's (April 12) Episode 9 panel at Star Wars Celebration, the trailer mainly focuses on Rey (Daisy Ridley) as she prepares for an unknown battle, ending with a tease of Emperor Palpatine...

Well, his laugh anyway. Shortly after, we see Rey, Finn and Poe visit what looks to be the wrecked remains of the Death Star.

"We've passed on all we know. A 1000 generations live in you now. But this is your fight," Luke tells Rey, potentially as a Force Ghost. "We'll always be with you. No one's ever really gone."

There's not many hints of the plot, but there are plenty of shots for fans, including Lando piloting the Millennium Falcon again and Rey hugging Leia.

After the exit of Colin Trevorrow, JJ Abrams returned to complete the trilogy he started with The Force Awakens, although he admitted he almost turned it down and called it a "crazy leap of faith".

"I was trepidatious to begin with, getting involved, because I love Star Wars so much and felt like it was... it was almost, on a personal level, a dangerous thing to get too close to something that you care that much about," he explained.

Episode 9 is expected to wrap up the Skywalker Saga and will also mark the last on-screen appearance of Carrie Fisher.

The movie will honour Fisher's legacy as General Leia Organa by using previously-unseen footage from the previous two movies. Mark Hamill believes that Fisher would have got "a real kick" out of being in the movie.

Star Wars: Episode 9 is released in UK cinemas on December 19 and US cinemas on December 20.

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Ian Sandwell

Movies Editor, Digital Spy  Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor.  Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world.   After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
 

Hugh Armitage

Hugh Armitage is Movies Editor at Digital Spy.