The force wasn't with everyone during the Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens panel held at California's Anaheim Convention Center on Thursday. Carrie Fisher, 58, who is reprising her role as Princess Leia, and Mark Hamill, 63, who is Luke Skywalker, were arm-in-arm on the stage just before the second trailer for the December film was rolled out. Not on hand was Harrison Ford, who is the franchise's Han Solo. Producer Kathleen Kennedy explained the 72-year-old was 'resting' after miraculously surviving a March plane crash in Los Angeles. Scroll down for trailer... Together again: Carrie Fisher, who is reprising her role as Princess Leia, and Mark Hamill, who is Luke Skywalker, were arm in arm on the stage in Anaheim on Thursday before the second trailer for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens was rolled out . In recovery mode: Not on hand was Harrison Ford, who is the franchise's Han Solo. Director JJ Abrams explained the 72-year-old was 'resting' after miraculously surviving a March plane crash in Los Angeles; here the actor is seen in July after an accident on the Star Wars set . It was announced early on that Ford would not be a part of the panel (though later he was the high point of the trailer). 'He's not here today but he's in everyone's thought, Harrison Ford, he's a total bad a***. 'The amazing thing about Harrison – and I don't think anybody out there will be surprised – is he is the only person who could make an emergency landing on a golf course in front of two doctors,' producer Kennedy said. The A team: Kathleen Kennedy, pictured center, said, 'The amazing thing about Harrison – and I don't think anybody out there will be surprised – is he is the only person who could make an emergency landing on a golf course in front of two doctors'; to her left is director JJ Abrams . They have a bond: Both Hamill and Fisher thanked the fans for their support over the decades . The vet meets the new faces: Fisher smiled as she posed with John Boyega and Daisy Ridley . Kennedy said he was home resting, and getting well as fast as he can. 'I can't even begin to tell you how much he wanted to be here,' she said. 'When we open the movie, Han Solo will be very active in what we are doing.' Abrams then chimed in. 'He's doing great and he's working hard,' Abrams said. 'I had respect for him all my life, but I've never had more respect for a guy until I saw how he landed that plane. The way they were: (from left) Hamill, Fisher and Ford in the original Star Wars movie in 1977 . 'He's more of a hero in that move than in all the films he's been in,' he added. 'By the time the movie opens he will be very actively involved.' Abrams also called the veteran actor, who is married to Calista Flockhart, a 'real hero.' Ford was also injured on the set of the Star Wars film and production was brought to a halt. But he recovered without any long-term issues. Fisher came out on stage in a black blazer and red skirt. Next was Peter Mayhew, who plays Chewbacca. Last was Hamill. The audience went wild for over 10 seconds. 'Chewie, we're home': Ford was featured at the end of the trailer for Star Wars VII . She's taking care of him: Ford's wife Calista Flockhart has been seeing to her husband's needs; here they are pictured in 2008 . When asked about her iconic hairstyle, Fisher said, 'The buns are tired now so I don't think we'll have the futuristic buns but we will have an alternate that will not include the metal bikini.' She also thanked the fans and made a twisted joke about how she is glad people have played with toys of her - referring to her Princess Leia dolls - which drew laughs. Hamill added, 'George originally called the film the most expensive small film he ever made.' He then thanked the fans for their 'passion.' 'My entire adult life I have felt such love from you. You're more than just fans, you're family.' On the run: Daisy and John can be seen running from an explosion in the trailer . R2D2 then appeared on stage and an image from the movie was shared with the robot in it. The 'tinkerers' were also brought out to talk about working with the droid. Next came BB-8, a rolling droid that appeared in the first Star Wars VII trailer. It made noises while circling R2D2. Daisy described her character, 'She is a scavenger and very solitary until she meets another character and that's when the adventure begins.' Down for now: An aircraft is buried in sand on a new planet . Oscar added, 'He's been sent on a mission by a certain princess and he meets John Boyega's character and their fates are forever intertwined.' John then said he would not confirm whether he was a Stormtrooper or not. Anthony Daniels also made the event - he plays C3PO. And then came the trailer. No fear: A pilot is seen in battle in the film that has a December release . The clip was the first time the vet character Han Solo, played by Ford, was seen. He was joined by Chewbacca at the end of the trailer and is heard saying, 'Chewie, we're home.' The trailer opens on what appears to be the newly revealed desert planet Jaku. As a speeder races across the sands we see an ancient downed Star Destroyer and a skeletal X-Wing, which clearly crashed there from orbit decades ago. We then see an unknown pair of hands holding the mangled mask of Darth Vader, melted and disfigured from the Sith lord's funeral pyre at the end of Return Of The Jedi. A hint of the old era: A skull of Darth Vader - aka Anakin Skywalker - is shown in the beginning of the clip . We hear Hamill's voice reprising a line from the 1983 film: The force is strong in my family. My father has it. I have it. My sister has it. He then appears to hand a lightsaber to another unseen character - a strong suggestion Luke Skywalker has had a child. Daisy, Oscar and John are then all introduced in the clip and it is hinted that they are in allegiance. Harrison appears with Chewbacca only at the very end. The menace is always there: Stormtroopers are also seen in the trailer, and they are located in a snowy location . Where is this?: In the opening scene, a desert planet is shown that is not Tatooine, but rather a new place JJ Abrams said was Jaku - it is not known how that is spelled or what lives there . Star Wars Celebration is a multi-day festival produced by Lucasfilm that's dedicated to Star Wars past and present. The most recent event, held in Germany in July 2013, had more than 20,000 attendees. During the panel, JJ talked about his love of the franchise. 'I was 11 years old when Star Wars come out,' he said. 'That moment transported me. It was the first time a movie made me laugh that way.... the film was brilliant and had such heart and the biggest thing for me was that it had such hope. 'Shooting in Abu Dhabi was an incredible thing. Shooting Star Wars is a Western and a fairy tale... shooting in Abu Dhabi was just that,' he added. The stars in real life: Oscar, Daisy and John side by side at the panel . The star in the film: Oscar as a pilot, Daisy as a scavenger and John, who at one point is a Stormtrooper . They then flashed a scene of the team in the desert. 'It's a planet called Jaku, people thought it was Tatooine, but it was Jaku.' He did not explain how Jaku was spelled or where it was. In November the first trailer came out and it lasted only 88 seconds. Opening some 30-years after Return Of The Jedi, the teaser kicked off with British actor Boyega, playing Finn, racing across a desert landscape dressed in full Stormtrooper regalia. A parched, disembodied voice tells us of an 'awakening' and reminds us of the dual energies that are 'the dark side... and the light.' The droids showed up too: Also on stage were the new robot BB-8 (left) and the old robot R2D2 (right), which looked a bit banged up . Behind the scenes: Not only was the trailer shared, but so were shots from the making of the movie . British actress Ridley is the next new star to appear as she drives a hover vehicle towards a desert town, while Oscar Isaac is seen as a fighter pilot, looking rather like a young Luke Skywalker when he's headed for the Death Star. The first trailer also delivered what was initially suggested during the forthcoming film's development - a clear departure from the over-indulgent use of CGI that blighted parts one, two and three of the science fiction saga. It also confirmed the welcome return of the iconic Millennium Falcon, and it is seen dodging laser blasts in a brief battle sequence. A new lightsaber made its debut, complete with a sword-like hilt, as an ominous cloaked figure marauds through a dark, snow-layered forest setting. The film opens December 18, 2015. The man with a plan: JJ Abrams spoke about the exciting project on stage . The veterans: Mark, Carrie and Anthony Daniels waved to the crowd of loyal followers . Dark side: Several Storm Troopers attended the event as they walked in a uniform line while standing in the background at the event . The gang's all here: Several Star Wars diehards posed for snaps together while dressed in their costumes .
Mark and Carrie are reprising their roles as Luke and Leia, respectively, which were introduced in 1977 .
Harrison, 72, was not at the Star Wars panel in Anaheim but he did appear at the end of the Episode VII trailer .
Ford crashed his vintage airplane on an LA golf course in March and suffered several injuries .
Producer Kathleen Kennedy said the veteran actor was a 'hero' was at home 'resting'