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"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" panel at San Diego Comic-Con marked the first "Star Wars" panel since 2004. Instead of debuting new footage, the panel presented a behind-the-scenes video which reveals some details of the film including giving close-up looks at the characters and the filming locations.

The video opens with the film's crew preparing for the first day of filming in a desert area. There are glimpses of stormtroopers, destructions that happen on the set and practical creature of aliens such as Admiral Ackbar and Nien Nunb as well as Peter Mayhew who suits up in Chewbacca costume.

The 3-minute video also provides a first look at Carrie Fisher's new wardrobe, Simon Pegg's new character and Harrison Ford sitting in the Millennium Falcon cockpit with Daisy Ridley.

The panel was led by Lucasfilm President, Kathleen Kennedy, and director J.J. Abrams. Stars of Dark Side villains from the film, Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson and Gwendoline Christie, also attended the panel. The biggest surprise, however, was the appearance of "legacy players" Mark Hamill, Fisher and Ford, who made his first public appearance since his plane accident.

The cast and the crew of the film had a discussion about "The Force Awakens", including the filming process and their efforts to make it become a great movie. The cast also shared their experiences in portraying their respective roles.

In the middle of the discussion, Abrams was confronted by a blunt question posed by two Asian girls who asked why there aren't any Asians in the film. He answered the question wisely, trying to avoid the use of sensitive words. "Honestly, we didn't write the characters to be any color," he said. "We just cast this movie knowing it was important, we wanted the movie to look like the world looks. It was a big consideration."

Meanwhile, Ford expressed his excitement about being involved in the latest installment of the franchise. "I was very gratified when I read the script," Ford told Hall H. "I read something that was remarkable with some very intriguing developments."

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is slated for a release in U.S. theaters on December 18.