Now that The Force has awakened, Star Wars fans were treated to their first glimpse of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the upcoming spin-off movie featuring a cast that includes Ip Man himself, Donnie Yen.

The Hong Kong movie icon is seen wielding a staff and knocking out a stormtrooper in a teaser trailer released on Thursday (April 7) evening.

It adds to the intrigue surrounding his role, as the only promotional photo released so far seems to show that his character is blind.

Rogue One, which takes place just before the events of Episode IV: A New Hope, tells the story of resistance fighters who have united to steal plans for the Death Star super weapon created by the Empire.

"I am very proud to be the first Chinese actor cast in Rogue One. It was a good and benevolent character," Yen, 52, said in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

"I felt like I was in a theme park every day when shooting Rogue One in Pinewood Studios in Britain. I have learned and experienced a lot."

Besides Ip Man 3, the latest instalment of the popular martial arts franchise, Yen was most recently seen in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny, the sequel to Lee Ang's acclaimed flick in 2000.

With Rogue One's release set for Dec 16, fans will have to wait to see his impact in a galaxy far, far away.

Felicity Jones, an Oscar nominee for The Theory of Everything, plays the lead in the movie - a new character named Jyn Erso. The cast also includes Forest Whitaker, Diego Luna, Mads Mikkelsen, Ben Mendelsohn, and Chinese actor Jiang Wen.

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said Rogue One will be a departure from the saga films like The Force Awakens, but it will have elements that are familiar to fans of the franchise.

"It goes into new territory, exploring the galactic struggle from a ground-war perspective while maintaining that essential Star Wars feel that fans have come to know."

Rogue One is directed by Gareth Edwards, best known for his work with the 2014 reboot of Godzilla.