James McAvoy wages war against Heaven in first His Dark Materials season 3 trailer

We've seen both angels and daemons coming to the third and final season of His Dark Materials. Now, how about a trailer?

HBO lifted the veil guarding the first footage on the next wave of episodes at a New York Comic Con panel on Thursday but then dropped it online for the world to see on Friday.

The sneak peek spotlights James McAvoy's Lord Asriel, who returns to the show in a big way after being absent for all but a minute of season 2. He's building an army, including witches and rebel angels, to take down the Authority, which is essentially God.

"I am gathering the greatest from every world to help me wage war," Asriel says in the trailer. "They are but one arm of the beast," he later adds. "We cut off the head and the rest will crumble."

Seen beside him as he rallies the troops against Heaven are the witch Serafina Pekkala (Ruta Gedmintas) and a new character, Commander Ogunwe, leader of Asriel's military forces, played by actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. We also see glimpses of the angels, which EW revealed earlier through exclusive photos, as well as the kingdom of Heaven hidden amongst electrified clouds.

"It's McAvoy as Asriel unleashed," executive producer Jane Tranter previously told EW.

"He's such a dick and he's such a bad father," McAvoy separately remarked of his character. "He's doing it for the right reasons, but he's doing it all the wrong way. The destination is more important than the journey for him. The ends totally justify the means for him. He's a leader and a world-changer and a thinker and a doer before he is a father."

Season 3 adapts the events of The Amber Spyglass, the third novel in author Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Dafne Keen returns as Asriel's daughter Lyra Belacqua, now the prophesied Eve child, who was last seen in the company of her nefarious mother, Mrs. Coulter (Ruth Wilson).

"There are forces out there, Lyra, that you can't begin to understand," Coulter tells Lyra. "I know you won't believe me, but I am doing this for you."

Fans can later see Lyra and Will Parry (Amir Wilson), the bearer of the Subtle Knife, traveling to the Land of the Dead, an alternate dimension where the deceased roam. It's a location teased in a season 2 post-credits scene attached to the finale, but the season 3 trailer now reveals other residents, including the harpies that guard the realm.

It's here we also see the return of Lin-Manuel Miranda as Lee Scoresby, who died during the events of season 2. "Well, I'll be damned," he tells Lyra. HBO revealed an additional behind-the-scenes image of Manuel's comeback.

Simone Kirby also returns as Mary Malone alongside Will Keen as Father President McPhail, Jade Anouka as witch queen Ruta Skadi, Jamie Ward as Father Gomez, and Amber Fitzgerald-Woolfe as Ama. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Simon Harrison, and Chipo Chung are playing three of the rebel angels named Balthamos, Baruch, and Xaphania.

His Dark Materials season 3 will premiere on HBO and HBO Max with two back-to-back episodes Dec. 5 at 9.m. ET/PT.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• Heavenly creatures: His Dark Materials delivers the angels unto season 3 in first look
• The lost Asriel chronicles: His Dark Materials showrunner discusses the cut James McAvoy episode
• Lin-Manuel Miranda unpacks the heartbreaking finale for His Dark Materials season 2