'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Cast Featured In New Character Portraits; Luke Skywalker Still Not Revealed

Just when you thought there was nothing new coming from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” following the release of its third trailer, Lucasfilm and Disney surprised fans once again. Five brand new character posters have been released online to promote the upcoming film, featuring faces that will appearing in "Episode 7" that are both familiar and brand new.

As Entertainment Weekly points out, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is not featured in the new portraits -- so fans hoping to get their first look at the character since he ended his run in “Return of The Jedi” in 1983 will be disappointed. As previously reported, director J.J. Abrams is keeping the look of Hamill’s character a big secret, but it’s heavily implied that the reason has something to do with the plot of “The Force Awakens.” So, while the character portraits are light on spoilers, that doesn’t mean there’s not a lot to look at in these new images. Characters Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Leia (Carrie Fisher), Finn (John Boyega), Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), are all featured in close-up portraits from the film teasing its Dec. 18 release in 3D, Real D and IMAX.

The images come hot off the heels of the release of the official poster for the movie, which featured all of the same characters and more. However, it also left out Skywalker, the lead of the original three movies, prompting Harrison Ford to address the issue during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

As for the characters that do appear in the photos, fans were treated to one of the first real looks at Carrie Fisher’s Leia after she reprised it for “The Force Awakens.” Previously, she was seen briefly in the film’s latest trailer as well as in the animated poster. However, this is a high-definition portrait of the Rebel leader showcasing her updated look and how kind the years have been.

The only bad guy on the list of new characters given portraits is Kylo Ren. Although the film’s trailers were light on details, it’s taken as a given that he’ll be the principal bad guy in the upcoming movie -- as if the black mask and red lightsaber weren’t dead giveaways.

Meanwhile, the final two portraits are of the new generation of heroes joining the “Star Wars” universe Finn and Rey. Not much is known about them, but everything that is known has been packed into these images. For example, Rey was seen as a scavenger in the latest trailer and she poses (above) with her high-tech staff tool covering most of her face.

Finn, on the other hand, was established as the character that’s fighting Kylo Ren’s broad sword style lightsaber in the second trailer released for the film on Instagram. Fans were surprised to see him still wielding it in the poster and now, thanks to the portrait, it seems that his character is going to be synonymous with the blue weapon. Perhaps when the Force does awaken, it will be inside this young newcomer.

What are your thoughts on the new “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” character posters? Comment your thoughts below or tweet them to @TylerMcCarthy.