Star Wars 8 director Rian Johnson confirms Maz Kanata will be back for The Force Awakens sequel

Last time we saw Lupita Nyong’o's character she was defending her home from The First Order

With filming underway on the sequel to last year’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, director Rian Johnson has begun teasing fans about Episode VIII, primarily via his Tumblr account.

In his most recent post, Johnson uploaded a set photo showing Maz Kanata’s face on two monitors, while a film crew work their magic on - we presume - Lupita Nyong’o in a motion capture suit.

By showing Kanata’s face on the monitors, Nyong’o can see how her facial movement are affecting what is being captured, a normal practice for Hollywood films.

http://rcjohnso.tumblr.com/post/142244762595

Last time we saw the character, she had handed Luke’s lightsaber to Rey, just moments before her smuggler safe-haven was attacked by the First Order.

How she will feature in the upcoming film is unknown but it should be noted that, at one stage in the filmmaking process, JJ Abrams had Kanata hand Luke’s Lightsaber to Leia at the Resistance’s base; a scene hinted at in The Force Awakens trailer. The part was cut as the character apparently had ‘nothing substantial to do’ when at the base.

Hopefully, Johnson will take a moment explain why Kanata seemingly has Force powers (plus, it would also be nice to know just how she got Luke’s Lightsaber in the first place).

Meanwhile, in other Star Wars 8 news, British comedian Ade Edmondson has reportedly joined the cast in a ‘top secret’ role.