UPDATE: The second of Empire’s covers has now been revealed, and can be seen above.
ORIGINAL STORY: Get ready to meet the Dark Side of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as Empire Magazine has just peeled back the curtain on its latest issue – and it’s a doozy. Spotlighting Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma and Domhnall Gleeson as the devious, power-mongering General Hux, the cover assembles the deadliest forces in the galaxy together for a rather striking shoot, aboard some form of space vessel that bears semblance to the interior of the Death Star.
Interestingly, this is the first of two exclusive Empire covers, and it’s a safe bet that the second, yet-to-be-revealed one-sheet will focus on the other side of The Force, perhaps finally unveiling Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia now that Han Solo has already been introduced in the most recent teaser, while Luke Skywalker dons his best Obi-Wan impression in last week’s leaked still from the set.
Then again, there’s every chance that the second cover will highlight the new faces on the block: Finn (John Boyega), Rey (Daisy Ridley), and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac). As the new faces of Disney’s rebooted franchise, Abrams’ trusted newcomers are acting as the new generation for The Force Awakens, and even though their surnames are being kept under wraps for the time being, we’re sure to learn much more about the director’s creative approach to a galaxy far, far away once we get our grubby hands on Empire’s coverage.
Joining Driver, Christie, Gleeson, Boyega, Ridley and Isaac for the intergalactic outing are Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Peter Mahyew, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong’o, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, and Max von Sydow.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens on December 18. Empire’s latest issue, meanwhile, will hit newsstands on August 27.