New Star Wars Rogue One Details/Pictures from EW....Vader Confirmed

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EW has followed up that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story cover reveal with a batch of character pics and some intriguing new details about each of them. Click on to find out more about these heroes and villains...

On the heels of this awesome Rogue One: A Star Wars: Story cover reveal, EW has debuted new images of all of the principal characters we'll meet in the Gareth Edwards-directed prequel. They've also revealed some intriguing new details on each of them.

Diego Luna is playing Captain Cassian Andor, who is described as "a by-the-book Rebel intelligence officer, brought in to steady the volatile Erso." Many assumed Donnie Yen's character was a Jedi, but as it turns out Chirrut Imwe is more of a warrior monk who is "devoted to their ways." Jiang Wen plays Chirrut's devoted friend and protector Baze Malbus, and Riz Ahmed is the squad's hot-headed lead pilot, Bodhi Rook. The final team member is Alan Tudylk's tough-as-nails droid character, K-2SO, who is described as “the antithesis of C-3PO.”

As we already knew, Mads Mikkelsen is Jyn's estranged father, Galen Erso, who is in possession of "doomsday knowledge that is sought by both the Empire and the Rebellion." The villain of the piece is Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), who is determined to enter the Emperor's good graces while avoiding the wrath of Darth Vader.

Finally, we have the mysterious character that'll be played by Forest Whitaker. EW describes him as someone "Star Wars completists will recognize immediately when they see his name, even if he looks very different than the way they've seen him elsewhere."

More details are coming later today, but for now, please speculate away. You can also find out more about these guys over at EW.

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ETA: Though it had all-but been confirmed already, yesterday EW finally made it official: Darth Vader will be back for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The specifics of the man in black's return were not mentioned during the initial coverage, but now we have a few more details to go on.

First off, fans will be delighted to hear that James Earl Jones - who recently voiced the character on season 2 of Star Wars Rebels - will reprise the role, with "a variety of large-framed performers" providing the character's movements. As for how much of Vader we can expect to see in the movie, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy says he'll only appear "sparingly", but that at a "key, strategic moment, he’s going to loom large."

The main antagonist of this story will actually be a brand new character. You see, it won't just be the Rebellion giving Vader headaches, as he'll also have to contend with Ben Mendelsohn’s Director Orson Krennic - and ambitious Imperial Officer who desperately wants to seize more power and replace the Sith Lord as Emperor Palatine's right-hand man.

Finally, director Gareth Edwards describes his excitement at coming face to mask with Vader for the first time on set.

“We had the breathing sound just to inspire everyone. I just got massive goosebumps. I was so nervous to turn the corner and see him. You have to pinch yourself. Everyone became children again, so easy. You just go straight back to being a 4-year-old, like, in a heartbeat.

There’s all these rules about security on set, but I couldn’t help it. I got my phone out and started taking pictures of him, and pictures of me with him, because I felt like no one would ever believe that I’d met Darth Vader.”

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