How Rogue One's Reshoots Totally Changed The Story

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is largely considered one of Star Wars' best movies, yet before its infamous and mysterious reshoots and edits, this Star Wars movie looked quite a bit different. Rogue One was released on December 16th, 2016, but in the eight years since, very little has been revealed about the movie's evidently significant reshoots. What is known is that about five weeks of reshoots took place for Rogue One, and that, during that time, the movie and even the story changed significantly.

Accounts vary as to whether this meant Director Gareth Edwards was sidelined when writer Tony Gilroy was brought on for the project and made some major changes. Per Variety, Edwards has stated that rumors about the situation are largely inaccurate, although according to Tony Gilroy's brother, John Gilroy, their Rogue One story changes were extensive. In any case, it's clear that the choices made during Rogue One's curious reshoots and edits fundamentally changed the plot of this popular Star Wars movie.

The Iconic Darth Vader Corridor Scene Was The Last Scene Added (But He Would Have Had Another Massacre)

One Of The Best Rogue One Scenes Almost Wasn't In The Movie

One of the most shocking changes made to Rogue One during this period of reshoots was the addition of the now-iconic scene in which Darth Vader takes down a hallway of Rebel fighters. This scene is arguably the single most well-known and celebrated in the entire movie, and it's difficult to imagine the movie without it. Evidently, though, it wasn't until the final changes were made that this scene was shot. According to Variety, Gareth Edwards explained, “The very last thing that we filmed in the pickup shoot was the Darth Vader corridor scene."

Vader still would have played a role in Rogue One, but he was initially intended to fight on the ground on Scarif. In that sense, Darth Vader would have carried out a massacre in the movie either way, yet there's little doubt the alternate version would've paled in comparison to how brilliant the corridor scene ended up being. It's also notable that Edwards indicated he played a key role in the development of the hallway scene, suggesting this wasn't a reshoot done without or in place of his involvement.

K-2SO Was Originally The Only Major Death In Rogue One

In The Final Cut, Nearly Every Major Character Died

According to The Direct, one of the most significant changes made to Rogue One during these cuts and edits involved the movie's casualties. Initially, K-2SO was going to be the only major character death among Rogue One's cast of characters. Obviously, this ended up changing considerably following the reshoots and edits, as nearly every major character in Rogue One dies by the conclusion of the movie.

This included Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, Director Krennic, Galen Erso, K-2SO, and others. In truth, this original story plan would have made Rogue One a completely different movie. Although the ending of Rogue One is unquestionably dark, it reveals a harsh but meaningful reality about rebellions and war. Whereas many Star Wars heroes have won the day and lived to tell the tale, Rogue One proves that not every hero makes it out alive. In the end, Rogue One is really about great personal sacrifice and the darker, grittier side of war.

Had everyone but K-2SO made it out of Rogue One alive, that message would have been considerably different. It also would have left the door open for the story to continue, which ultimately would only have done a disservice to the characters and to the movie. Yes, Rogue One's ending is absolutely devastating, but part of what gives the movie such an impact is knowing that these stories really have come to an end. Of course, Andor still found a creative way to expand the story, but it is doing so by exploring the past, not the future.

Cassian Andor And Jyn Erso Would Have Had A Full-Fledged Romantic Arc

The Undertones Were Still In Rogue One, But This Dynamic Would Have Changed Considerably

The Direct also reported that originally, Rogue One would have given Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor a full-blown romantic arc. Throughout Rogue One, particularly toward the end of the movie, there was a hint of this. By the end of the movie, though, the romantic tensions between the two hadn't developed in any real way. Cassian and Jyn embraced as the explosion was coming to claim their lives, but it was unquestionably an embrace of friendship and camaraderie, nothing more.

Had Jyn and Cassian had a true romantic storyline, it would have changed the movie considerably, likely not for the better. Jyn and Cassian were both brilliant characters, but Star Wars didn't need another new couple. What Rogue One was bringing to the table ended up being so much more innovative, and a focus on a budding romance would arguably have detracted from that.

Of course, it's difficult to say with certainty that this storyline wouldn't have worked, as it wasn't ultimately brought to the Star Wars screen. However, both Jyn and Cassian's respective arcs were compelling enough without the addition of a romantic arc. Arguably, this cut helped both characters shine on their own and kept the story focused on the themes of redemption and self-sacrifice.

Missing Scenes From The Trailers Suggest Major Character Changes—Especially For Jyn Erso

Some Scenes From The Trailer Were Never Intended To Be In The Movie

Many have also noted that a number of clips included in trailers for Rogue One didn't ultimately make it into the final cut of the movie, suggesting major story changes. Interestingly, some clips from the trailers were never meant to be part of Rogue One. A key example was the image of Jyn Erso standing before a TIE fighter. Although this was an incredible shot in the trailers, it was never truly intended to be part of the movie (which left some viewers rather disappointed).

However, other aspects of the Rogue One trailer do suggest that certain character changes were made later in the game, particularly in relation to Jyn. In the earliest trailers for Rogue One, the Rebellion seemed to be actively recruiting Jyn, yet in the final cut, it was Jyn who was pleading with the Rebels to join her. Moreover, Jyn seemed much more enthusiastic about her anti-Imperial sentiments in the early trailers, whereas, in the final cut of Rogue One, Jyn was more of a begrudging hero.

Ultimately, Rogue One is considered one of Star Wars' best movies for a reason. The innovative storyline, compelling characters, and focus on the brutalities of and losses in war all make it a stand-out among Star Wars' other movies. It's nevertheless fascinating to explore what might have been in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story had these later edits and reshoots not happened.