Rogue One audiences were somewhat surprised at the theater when the movie returned us to planet Mustafar for one scene between Sith Lord Darth Vader and Director Orson Krennic. Vader floats inside his bacta tank, soaking up nutrients while contemplating the Rebels’ demise from the security of his Barad-dûr-like fortress of evil. It’s a fun image, and one that we might see again. But probably minus Vader.
Even before those highly-publicized reshoots, Rogue One went through several story changes during development, which isn’t unusual for the majority of films, especially big blockbusters. Just yesterday we learned more details about the original, somewhat happier ending to the flagship installment in Lucasfilm’s A Star Wars Story series, but that was far from the only change made during the scripting stage.
Star Wars Rebels is preparing to tie off a major continuity knot with a final showdown between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul, though it’s worth wondering how else a fan-favorite like Maul could have impacted the Star Wars we know. Case in point, showrunners reveal the Season 2 fight that might have seen Vader cutting down Maul, and why said foe endured.