Watch The New Trailer For ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’

A Star Wars story

Jocks tuned in to NBC's Olympic coverage last night to watch Michael Phelps win his 22nd gold medal, while their nerdier counterparts watched for an entirely different reason. NBC promised that at some point during the night, the new trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story would drop during one of the commercial breaks.

It was an historic night. Not only did Phelps win yet another gold, but Simone Manuel became the first African-American woman to win an Olympic swimming event (she tied for gold with Canada's Penny Oleksiak). Still, as the night wore on, the promise of the Rogue One trailer loomed large, with Twitter growing more and more impatient as each commercial break passed.

Then, at around 10:40pm, the trailer finally aired, and it left fans breathless. Not only did it confirm that Felicity Jones, as the outsider thief Jyn Erso, is going to be a full-on badass, but it also teased the return of Darth Vader himself. We also got a better look at the stellar ensemble cast, which includes Forest Whitaker; Diego Luna, in all his raffish charm; and Riz Ahmed, who's currently teaching an acting masterclass on HBO's The Night Of.  The movie is a prequel of sorts, and follows a rebel group who are tasked with stealing the blueprints of the first Death Star from a very scary looking Ben Mendelsohn. We can't wait.   

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits theaters on December 16.