Even though you can't really throw a rock without hitting a Star Wars fan who's pretty confident Darth Vader will return in this year's prequel adventure, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the iconic villain's presence has now been officially confirmed by Entertainment Weekly, the latest issue of which sports a preview of the film inside and on its cover.

Have a look...

Fans were confident Vader would return seeing as Rogue One takes place during a time when Vader was in his prime. Rumors also suggest the film will end shortly before the very first Star Wars movie, A New Hope, begins, and if that's the case it'd be hard not to include the menacing Sith lord.

EW teases a story about Vader's first day on set (we're still awaiting that first image), as well as new info on the film's lead heroine, Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), a complete breakdown of the film's multicultural cast, and more on the main villain, played by Ben Mendelsohn, an officer operating under Vader who's "eager to earn the favor of the Emperor." 

The mag also teases the reintroduction of a "few" classic characters, so it'll be interesting to see who else pops up from that time in Star Wars lore. The Emperor, for starters. Might we also see C-3PO and R2-D2? Or what about Boba Fett? The new Han Solo, perhaps? A young Princess Leia?

Seeing as Leia, Lando, Vader and others have already made an appearance on the Star Wars Rebels animated series -- which takes place right around the same time as this film -- anything goes, really.

Stay tuned for more as EW drops additional details.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits theaters on December 16.