Star Wars Episode VII Central Cast Members Announced

The Force is strong with this star-studded ensemble!
Walt Disney Pictures and StarWars.com have today announced the central cast of the former studio's upcoming science-fiction film Star Wars Episode VII (the traditional sub-title of which is still to be confirmed). Set thirty years after the events of 1983's Return of the Jedi, the seventh big-screen instalment in the critically acclaimed franchise will feature a trio of new Jedi heroes accompanied by a host of familiar faces from the series' past.

As of today, we've come one gigantic step closer to learning what kind of cinematic experience we can expect from Episode VII next December, and my oh my, are the first signs promising here (indeed, we can't wait to see Oscar Isaac and Andy Serkis put their spin on the Star Wars universe). Without further ado, here's the newly announced line-up of actors and actresses who will be leading the charge into a new era of starbound adventures (and their roles where applicable):

• JOHN BOYEGA (Attack the Block)- TBC (PROTAGONIST)
• DAISY RIDLEY (Casualty; Mr Selfridge)- TBC (PROTAGONIST)
• ADAM DRIVER (Girls; Inside Llewyn Davis; Law & Order)- TBC (ANTAGONIST)
• OSCAR ISAAC (Inside Llewyn Davis)- TBC
• ANDY SERKIS (The Lord of the Rings; King Kong; Rise of the Planet of the Apes; The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey; Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)- TBC
• DOMHNALL GLEESON (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 & 2; About Time)- TBC
• MAX VON SYDOW (Ghostbusters II; Shutter Island; Robin Hood; The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim; The Simpsons)- TBC
• MARK HAMILL (Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope; Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back; Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi; Batman: Arkham City)- LUKE SKYWALKER
• HARRISON FORD (Star Wars Episodes IV-VI; Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues)- HAN SOLO
• CARRIE FISHER (Star Wars Episodes IV-VI)- LEIA SOLO
• PETER MAYHEW (Star Wars Episodes III-VI)- CHEWBACCA
• ANTHONY DANIELS (Star Wars Episodes I-VI; Star Wars: The Clone Wars; The LEGO Movie)- C-3PO
• KENNY BAKER (Star Wars Episodes I-VI)- R2-D2

Add to that a series of new promotional images for Disney XD's impending animated TV series Star Wars: Rebels (below) and the announcement that the first full trailer for Rebels will début (coincidentally) this Sunday, May 4th, and it's safe to say that the last twenty four hours or so have been a rather grand period for fans of a galaxy far, far away...

Star Wars Episode VII commences its trench run in cinemas worldwide on December 15th, 2015.