Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Jar Jar Binks not in the movie, fans rejoice

Return of the Jedi's Ewoks are also out of the picture.

Jar Jar Binks as seen in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (Lucasfilm/20th Century Fox)

Star Wars producer Kathleen Kennedy was finally confirmed that, no, Jar Jar Binks will not be appearing in The Force Awakens.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of the film's release, Kennedy definitively stated, "Jar Jar is definitely not in the movie."; the room immediately bursting into cheering and applause befitting of something so truly worthy of celebration.

Jar Jar Binks. Even just seeing those collected words sends a wave of seething rage through the bodies of most film fans. Of all the failures and falsities of the Star Wars prequels, it was Jar Jar who sat at its pinnacle like the Christmas tree angel of pure shame. He represented to fans what the new trilogy had left behind: respect for its own legacy in service of a new sense of self-indulgence, of endless trade negotiations and Jar Jar's childish comic relief. 

In an environment in which we know so little of The Force Awakens' shape or content, rumours have been going wild; and so it's inevitably opened up a minuscule window of possibility that all of our worst nightmares could indeed come true. Well, everyone can sleep soundly tonight. 
 

Kennedy also utilised the opportunity to confirm the film also wouldn't feature the divisive presence of Ewoks. whose reception tends to differ between absolute hatred and a kind of nostalgic affection. "That's because Harrison insisted on it", she joked; presumably nodding to some scandalous on-set tension between Ford's Han Solo and those tiny bear-aliens.

The producer has also recently revealed, in a slightly spoiler-y interview with the Los Angeles Times, that there are massive plans in place for Gwendoline Christie's Captain Phasma. Kennedy confirmed the character will be appearing in Star Wars: Episode VIII as, "she's an important character, a baddie in the best sense of the word."

The Force Awakens is released on 17 December. Although you probably didn't need to be told that.