Here's Why Everyone Is Freaking out about The "Star Wars VII" Trailer

The first Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer just dropped, and from the brief footage we've seen it's looking pretty amazing. We get an awesome extended shot of the Millennium Falcon being pursued by TIE Fighters, an ominous voiceover warns us of the "awakening" of the film's title, and John Williams' musical fanfare provides the usual chills.

Read on as we break down the five moments from the trailer that made us geek out the most.

Talented British actor John Boyega, seen most memorably in fellow Star Wars geek Joe Cornish's film Attack the Block, caused ripples when it was announced he was appearing as a major cast member in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

He literally pops up in the trailer in a sweaty, panicked state wearing a stormtrooper uniform, so our guess is he's wearing it as some kind of a disguise, since it was established in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) that the stormtroopers are all clones of Temuera Morrison's character Jango Fett.

This would also make sense as a nod to the original Star Wars from 1977, where heroes Han and Luke also disguised themselves as stormtroopers to rescue Princess Leia.

What is going on with #JohnBoyega is he an actual Stormtrooper or is he a Rebel. Very interesting #StarWarsTrailer #TheForceAwakens

— Darth Sean (@darthsean85) November 28, 2014

We're given a brief glimpse of an adorable, bleeping robot that darts along using its spherical body like a rolling ball. On the cutesy scale, it ranks somewhere between R2-D2 and a scurrying MSE-6. It turns to the camera with an implied wink to the audience, assuring them that "yes, this is really happening." It also happens to look just like the World Cup 2010 football from South Africa, the "Jabulani."

THERE'S LITERALLY A ROBOT FOOTBALL IN THE NEW STAR WARS FILM. A ROBOT FOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/0Ng5BDmguM

— Al Horner (@Al_Horner) November 28, 2014

Rumoured to be playing the daughter of Han and Leia, relatively unknown British actress Daisy Ridley is given a similarly intriguing introduction to co-star John Boyega, starting up a hover bike with an urgent expression on her face.

If she does turn out to be playing Leia's offspring, then she certainly passes for her mother's daughter here. Like Boyega, she also appears to be on Luke Skywalker's home world of Tatooine, first seen in the original Star Wars.

Slight crush on #DaisyRidley happening... okay, okay MASSIVE crush happening... #StarWarsTheForceAwakens

— Sean Chriscole (@SeanChriscole) November 28, 2014

Keen fans probably already saw this coming, but it is awesome to see the X-Wing back on the screen all the same. We're also given a brief glimpse at the familiar red and white Rebel Alliance pilot uniforms, here worn by Inside Llewyn Davis actor Oscar Isaac. Whether or not he is playing the famous pilot Wedge Antilles is still (appropriately) up in the air at this point.

The look of this footage is another promising sign that The Force Awakens heralds the return of the OG "used universe" director J.J. Abrams is trying to evoke.

My favorite part of the trailer was the X-Wings!!! #StarWars #TheForceAwakens #EpisodeVII #XWing http://t.co/6zjUWyBQ9e

— Ramon Buck Rowlette (@Highball2814) November 28, 2014

Lightsabers are always nerd catnip for any Star Wars fan, and this moment of the trailer was a biggie. Given the red colour of the lightsaber and the dark cloak of its wielder this is probably one of the new Sith villains, rumoured by fans to be a Jedi pursuer.

It recalls the "oh shit!" moment of the reveal of Darth Maul's double-bladed lightsaber in the trailer for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Here though, the short length of the lightsaber's side blades look more visually reminiscent of the crossguard of a sword hilt, so could possibly be used for parrying purposes.

I don't know why everyone is b*tching about the #lightsaber design shown in the #starwarstrailer. It's actually very cool

— Tejas Tasgaonkar (@tejastasgaonkar) November 28, 2014