We’re sure that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will have plenty of surprises in store – the question is whether they all get revealed before it actually hits cinemas, as a minor spoiler has just been dropped in the form of a fairly notable supporting character from the prequel trilogy.
While speaking on The Talk, recently, actor Jimmy Smits confirmed that he would be reprising his role as Senator Bail Organa in the first Star Wars spinoff, having been prompted by a theory that had come about after a hardcore Star Wars devotee – having scoured the Rogue One sizzler reel – managed to notice part of his costume (it must have literally been blink-and-you’ll-miss-it; it completely passed us by).
An important character in the prequel trilogy, it is Bail who is charged with being a foster parent to an infant Leia, effectively keeping her safe from the Empire (although considering how she later takes a lead role in the Rebellion, it’s questionable how successful he is in this regard). He would meet his demise off-screen during the events of A New Hope after the destruction of Alderaan, but his legacy remained, with the recent tie-in books especially emphasising his strong connection to Leia.
As well as making sense age-wise (both the real-life and fictional time gaps between Revenge Of The Sith and Rogue One are about the same), it’s just great to have an actor of Smits’ calibre on board, even if it’s only for a short while. Hopefully there’ll be more news of this kind in the offing in upcoming weeks.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be released in cinemas on 16 December 2016. You can download Star Wars: Expanded Universe – The Complete Manual from GreatDigitalMags.com, and watch our video review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens now. For all the latest Star Wars news, pick up the new issue of SciFiNow.
