A second teaser for director J.J. Abrams’ highly anticipated continuation of the “Star Wars” saga hit the Internet on Thursday — and it’s out of this world.
The roughly two-minute clip features an ominous voice-over, which may belong to actor Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker. “The force is strong in my family,” the voice intones. “My father has it. I have it. My sister has it.” And then the voice delivers an intriguing coda: “And you have the power, too.”
A feast for the eyes follows, showing a marooned Imperial Star Destroyer, the melted mask of the deceased Darth Vader, the Millennium Falcon dodging laser blasts and, in its final seconds, a glimpse of a fit-looking Harrison Ford (presumably shot prior to his recent plane crash) in his iconic role of Han Solo opposite his trusty co-pilot Chewbacca. Of course, for the uninitiated this is all rather meaningless, but for “Star Wars” diehards it’s a delight.
As Ford’s Solo says with a smile in the new teaser, “Chewie, we’re home.”
As with all things “Star Wars,” this teaser will likely spark heated debate among fans and haters. The first teaser trailer, which debuted in November 2014, was greeted with some racially charged criticism because it predominately featured black British actor John Boyega in Stormtrooper garb.
Some online critics complained that Abrams was sullying the series by trying to be politically correct because the three previous “Star Wars” films didn’t establish the concept of a black Stormtrooper. For his part, Boyega handled the “controversy” with a light touch, urging fans to “get used to it” on social media.
Boyega is again prominently featured in the second teaser, both in and out of the Stormtrooper costume.
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is set to hit theaters nationwide in December.
Watch the first teaser trailer here:
Adam Howard