“Star Wars Episode VIII” may not fly into our galaxy until December 2017, but fans of the galaxy far, far away now finally have new footage to obsess over.

Directed by Gareth Edwards, “Rogue One” is the first in a series of non-episodic films set in the “Star Wars” universe. It centers around the mission to steal the plans for the Death Star and leads directly into “A New Hope.” The movie’s entire premise, in fact, is found in its opening crawl.

_“Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire. During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.”_

In terms of marketing, fans awaiting “Rogue One” haven’t been given much to pore over. While “Episode VIII” was given a production announcement with teaser footage, for months all we had for “Rogue One” was a single cast photo. But this week, we got the teaser trailer we’ve been waiting for, and it’s full of goodies.

So, let’s dive in!

####Old friends, new faces

Unlike the prequel or sequel trilogies, “Rogue One” takes place in the midst of the rebellion against the Empire so, by necessity, many familiar characters have been brought back into the mix.

The most prominently shown returning character is Mon Mothma, leader of the Rebel Alliance first seen in “Return of the Jedi” and played then by Caroline Blakiston. In “Rogue One,” she is portrayed by actress Genevieve O’Reilly, returning to the role she played over ten years ago in “Revenge of the Sith.”

Although Mothma’s screen time was limited in both “Return of the Jedi” and “Revenge of the Sith,” she’s remained a fan favorite for years, and fans will surely be delighted to see her in action.

####Another female lead

We’ve known Oscar-winning actress Felicity Jones would helm this movie for months now, but seeing her in action still feels surreal. Twice now, Lucasfilm has entrusted its films to the capable hands of female protagonists.

Jyn Erso (Jones) is described as reckless, aggressive and undisciplined. A rebellious wild card with little respect for any sort of authority, especially the Empire. She is tasked with the mission of stealing the plans for an Imperial super-weapon (which we know is the Death Star).

Seeing an obviously independent female lead in “Star Wars” continues to feel like a miracle in a film landscape that seems intent on feeding moviegoers with the same kind of character played by variations of white male actors. Based off of the brief glimpse of Jyn Erso we did get, there is little doubt that she, as Daisy Ridley did before her, will change the game.

Another interesting idea to keep in mind is that since this film nearly coincides with “A New Hope,” Jyn Erso is very close in age to Luke Skywalker. And if the fan theories speculating that he is Rey’s father prove to be true, Jyn Erso could be Rey’s mother.

####The Rebels are on their own

“It’s about the fact that God’s not coming to save us, and we’re on our own,” director Gareth Edwards said nearly a year ago at Star Wars Celebration. “The absence of the Jedi is omnipresent in the film. It hangs over the whole movie.”

This, I believe, more than anything, is what will set “Rogue One” apart from every other “Star Wars” film to this point.

Like it or not, “Star Wars” has always been a story focused around the most powerful and dysfunctional family in history: the Skywalkers. The prequel trilogy chronicled Anakin Skywalker’s descent into darkness. The original trilogy was about Luke Skywalker’s journey to becoming a Jedi. “The Force Awakens” showed Rey discovering the power within herself. The Force and its spirituality has been central to “Star Wars.”

But “Rogue One” is not the tale of a Jedi. It’s the tale of a mission. A dark, rough mission with no help from any omnipresent Force. It’s about the rest of the galaxy, in a sense, those without the ability to wield a lightsaber or throw boulders around like pebbles.

In a way, seeing people without the Force going up against the likes of the Empire (and possibly Darth Vader) will make the stakes feel even higher, even though we already know the outcome.

In short, December can’t come soon enough.

_Edited by Katherine Rosso | krosso@themaneater.com_