C-3PO star Anthony Daniels confirms he has finished filming Star Wars Episode IX

Writing on Twitter, longtime series star Anthony Daniels (who has played fussy protocol droid C-3PO since ‘77 and is the only actor to appear in every single Star Wars film to date) revealed that he had finished filming on the upcoming sequel.

Praising the “talented cast” he’d been working with, Daniels added that fans were in for something special this December.

• Jon Favreau teases this classic Star Wars droid will return in The Mandalorian
• "Gobsmacked" Richard E Grant on his surprise Oscar nomination and the huge twists in Star Wars Episode IX
• RadioTimes.com newsletter: get the latest TV and entertainment news direct to your inbox

“Today was 3PO's last on Episode IX,” Daniels wrote on 28th January 2019. “He's sad – so am I.

“But we're so proud to have worked with such a lovely, talented cast & crew lead by [director] JJ [Abrams] and [Lucasfilm president] Kathy [Kennedy].

“I'll miss everyone but I'm glad to know that we've been making something exceptional together, to share with the waiting world.”

Frankly, Daniels’ emotional goodbye has us a little worried about the fate of the galaxy’s favourite human/cyborg relations expert. Could director JJ Abrams be planning to end the series with 3PO being dismantled, a mirror to how he was put together in Episode I?

We’ll have to wait a while before we find out whether our concern is justified. How many months was it again?

Star Wars Episode IX will be released in December 2019