Domhnall Gleeson joined Star Wars legends Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill on the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Comic-Con panel in San Diego on Friday evening, with fans discovering that the Irish actor will play a villain in the movie.
Gleeson, it was announced, will play General Hux in the long-awaited blockbuster, and said his character will operate from "Starkiller Base".
The 7,000-strong crowd gave Gleeson's co-star Ford a standing ovation.
Ford was asked how he was feeling after the injuries he sustained in his recent plane crash. "I'm fine," he declared, before moving quickly to answer movie questions.
He was asked if he had thought about what had happened to his character, Han Solo, after Return of the Jedi.
"No, because I never thought that it would come back to bless me rather than haunt me," Ford said.
"I was very gratified when I read the [new] script. I read something that I thought was really remarkable, really well-written, with some very intriguing developments and I was very happy to be a part of the story."
Actress Carrie Fisher, who plays Princess Leia, was asked about her return to the franchise. "It was like a flashback, kind of," she said.
"I thought, 'They were right about the acid flashbacks'. I didn't think that it was going to happen again. I had to check and see if it was just me. It was a little bit like before, only we looked melted this time. But in a good way – kind of Force-melted."
With the film due in Irish cinemas on December 18, director JJ Abrams told Comic-Con: "We're working hard to make the movie more of what it wants to be."
Check out more photos in our gallery here.
Fan Kevin Doyle and members of the 501st Legion
Producer Kathleen Kennedy, director JJ Abrams and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan
JJ Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy with the tools of the trade
How green was his lightsaber – Domhnall Gleeson gets in character
Some of the guests came from a galaxy far, far away
Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford reunited as Leah, Luke and Han
Adam Driver, who plays Kylo Ren
L-R JJ Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan and stars John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Oscar Isaac
Gwendoline Christie, who plays Captain Phasma, and co-star Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey
The Universe at their feet - John Boyega, who plays Finn; Daisy Ridley and Oscar Isaac, who plays Poe Dameron
Domhnall Gleeson and Gwendoline Christie
Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher
