Star Wars fans are heading to the cinema in their thousands to see The Rise of Skywalker this week, but they’ll be without one of the heroes of 2019 – Baby Yoda.
It’s been confirmed that the adorable character will not be appearing in the new film, despite becoming one of the biggest memes of the year.
“Baby Yoda is not in the film,” director JJ Abrams told Variety at the world premiere.
While he hasn't given the character a starring role in the new film, Abrams did acknowledge that the creature is the “cutest thing in the history of time”.
Baby Yoda appeared in the Star Wars series The Mandalorian on Disney+ in the US, which isn’t available to view in the UK.
Fans will, however, be able to see the character in action when the streaming service launches here in March 2020.
In the meantime, The Rise of Skywalker is released this week, starring John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver. The film brings a conclusion to the franchise, which first began in 1977.
The first reactions have been posted online following the film's premiere in Los Angeles, and while many were positive, some critics stated they were "disappointed" with the film on first viewing.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is released on December 19. Read our full guide to everything you need to know about the film here.
