Certainly, J.J. Abrams served up a shocker in Episode 7 with the dismissal of – spoiler alert – Harrison Ford’s Han Solo.
But aside from the unintentional and highly emotional final appearance from the late Carrie Fisher’s General Leia, are any more familiar faces being turfed out?
Domhnall Gleeson, who plays General Hux, has certainly kept his cards close to his chest when it comes to his own involvement in 2019’s as-yet-untitled Episode 9.
Asked about the film’s change of director (Abrams has replaced Colin Trevorrow), he told IGN: “I can’t speak from any perspective except for the fact as somebody ho likes the movies because it’s not been disclosed to anybody – because obviously nobody knows what’s going to happen with The Last Jedi – whether I’ll be involved in that film or not.
“So I don’t think of it as somebody who’s necessarily involved or not involved, that’s just its own thing.”
He went on: “But, you know, I think it’s very bad for Colin but if that was – but if the right thing to do is to part company, the most right thing to do is the same in any relationship, you know? That happens.
“And then with J.J., he’s a great director.
“I think that he did a brilliant job on the first one and it makes absolute sense why after they parted company with Colin that was the place they looked and I think it’s very exciting for the fans of the film that he’s back.”
Rian Johnson is the man behind The Last Jedi, which opens in less than three months’ time.
Episode IX then follows two years later, with the still untitled Han Solo prequel story due May 2018.
Gleeson will next be seen in Goodbye Christopher Robin, out later this month.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is out on December 14 in the UK.