During the halftime segment of Monday night football, the full trailer of Star Wars: Episode VII- The Force Awakens debuted. Having been raised with the films, I anxiously waited by my television for the long anticipated premiere; it did not let me down. I was comforted by familiar images of droids, Storm Troopers, The Millennium Falcon, and Han Solo himself (Harrison Ford). But it was the new characters that solidified my excitement for the December 18 release.

The film stars two relatively unknown actors: Daisy Ridley and John Boyega as Rey and Finn. There has been much speculation about the background of the two characters, but no official statements have been released regarding these details. Other newbies to the film series include Lupita Nyong’o, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson (best known for his role as Bill in Harry Potter) and Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones). (Sidenote: Boyega’s reaction to the trailer mirrors our own.)

A look at the trailer shows new footage of the film that has never before released. We finally get our first glimpse of Carrie Fisher who is reprising her iconic role as Princess Leia and amazing battle sequences that already have our heart rates accelerating. However, the sight of the deteriorated helmet of Darth Vader is the true icing on the intergalactic cake. Star Wars fans have grown to learn about Vader’s character, arguably more than any other character in the series. “I will finish what you started,” a voice, who is perceived to be Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, says, as Vader’s infamous breathing plays in the background. It was a welcome touch to have Episode VII’s new antagonist paying homage to the villain that started it all.

As a fan of the series since childhood, I can attest that this film deviates from the creative style of Episodes I, II and III, and looks more like the original episodes we know and cherish. It is hard to believe that a few years ago fans were uneasy about the fate of Episode VII. This uneasiness began in 2012 when Disney purchased Lucasfilm for a whopping $4 billion and rumors of rebooting the famous franchise began to circulate. Fans expressed fear that any Star Wars sequel would not have the same feel without creator, George Lucas, at the helm. While Lucas served as merely a creative consultant during early stages of Episode VII’s development, he was quoted in an interview with StarWars.com saying, “I always said I wasn’t going to do any more, and that’s true, because I’m not going to do any more. But that doesn’t mean I’m unwilling to turn it over to Kathy to do more,” regarding Lucasfilm’s new President Kathleen Kennedy.

After seeing the trailer, my slight fears were eliminated and they gave way for vast amounts of anticipation. Star Wars is much more than a film franchise. To its fans, it is a journey to a universe more like our own than we often think. It's an innovative adventure like no other film series that has been created. I have high hopes for Star Wars: Episode VII and I hope that the force is strong with this continuation of the series.

Watch the trailer here