There are only a few seconds of new footage in the trailer, but one of the most chilling images comes right at the start, with the First Order’s forces assembled in formation — calling to mind the visuals of the Third Reich, most notably the Nazi Party’s annual rallies at Nuremberg.
Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma is also clearly visible facing the assembled troops beneath her chrome stormtrooper armor, along with a figure who could be Domhnall Gleeson’s General Hux. Also visible are white TIE fighters and more compact versions of the AT-ATs that were memorably introduced in the original trilogy’s “Empire Strikes Back.”
The trailer once again spotlights Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren and his controversial crossguard lightsaber, with a few glimpses of heroes Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and new droid BB-8.
Original stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford are absent from the footage, although all three were on hand at the Disney/Lucasfilm presentation for the movie at San Diego Comic-Con, where director J.J. Abrams debuted a behind-the-scenes look from “The Force Awakens” which left the 7,000-strong crowd visibly moved.
