It's been rumoured and hinted at for some time, but now there's been an official confirmation - via a magazine cover, no less.

Darth Vader will feature in Star Wars: Rogue One. Yes, everybody's favourite burn victim is going to be making a glorious return to our screens this winter and, by all accounts, Lucasfilm are pumped. The exact details of Vader's return are, of course, a bit of a mystery, however the iconic villain has featured heavily in the actually-really-good-despite-it-being-for-children Rebels TV series.

James Earl Jones is expected to reprise his duties as the booming, sinister voice of Darth Vader, however it's unlikely if David Prowse will return to act as a body double for Darth Vader - primarily because he's now 80 years of age and is suffering from memory problems.

There was a rumour suggesting that our own Stephen Farrelly - better known as WWE's Sheamus - would be acting as a body double for Darth Vader, however there's been little in the way of confirmation on that front.

As for Rogue One itself, the alleged reshoots / rewrites have been addressed formally by Lucasfilm in a big feature we did some time ago, so that's pretty much that.

Here's the cover from Entertainment Weekly which confirms Darth Vader once and for all. Expect a new trailer in the next few weeks when Star Wars Celebration rolls around.