Check out our man John Boyega in the below new teaser (a very short teaser) for the upcoming “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” in which his character, Finn, wields a lightsaber as if ready to do battle… with whom, we’re not entirely certain; but given the shot that precedes it, and what looks like the same location, we can guess that it’s with Kylo Ren, as played by co-star Adam Driver.

A couple of months ago, we finally learned more about Boyega’s character in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (most notably that he’s one of the film’s 3 leads). This is obviously great for the young actor, and for his fans; and I’m glad that he’s not just a a sidekick, or some other peripheral character. He’s actually going to be quite involved in the movie’s overall narrative. 

Also, the mystery that was Lupita Nyong’o’s character isn’t as much of a mystery anymore. As reported on this blog in May, Nyong’o’s character will be computer generated – a pirate named Maz Kanata, who apparently owns a castle where "galactic travelers, smugglers, and other assorted riffraff" gather. Beyond that, the character is still a mystery, in terms of what her specific storyline is, her motivations, where her loyalties lie, her overall contributions to the main narrative, etc. We’ll find out soon enough.

Also of note, director J. J. Abrams shared that he’s thinking about killing off the very controversial Jar Jar Binks character from "The Phantom Menace" – the computer generated bumbling Gungan from the planet Naboo, who drew much attention from the media and fans alike; the character was widely rejected and ridiculed by people who felt that Jar Jar was a racial caricature. Abrams said earlier this year, "I have a thought about putting Jar Jar Binks’s bones in the desert there. I’m serious! Only three people will notice, but they’ll love it."

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” bows in theaters on December 18.