There's a lot to take away from the new Vanity Fair cover story previewing Star Wars: The Last Jedi. While offering the first deep dive into what to expect from the eagerly anticipated sequel, the piece also celebrates the franchise's 40th anniversary and pays homage to the late Carrie Fisher.

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Among the trove of new information is the first look at the characters played by franchise newcomers Laura Dern and Benicio del Toro, courtesy of portraits taken by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, as well as initial details about their roles.

Dern (Jurassic Park) plays Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo. Of course, next to nothing is revealed about her character beyond that she's "a prominent officer in the Resistance."

Del Toro's "shifty" DJ is a "shady character" with uncertain loyalties. Although the character's name is never mentioned in The Last Jedi, filmmaker dubbed him "DJ," for reasons that director Rian Johnson teased will become clear.

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Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, features returning cast members Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, Daisy Ridley as Rey, John Boyega as Finn, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Lupita Nyong’o as Maz Kanata, Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma and Andy Serkis as Supreme Leader Snoke, joined by franchise newcomers Kelly Marie Tran as Rose, and Benicio del Toro as DJ and Laura Dern as Amilyn Holdo. The film opens on Dec. 15.