star wars rogue one

Star Wars Rebels has come to yet another temporary close with Season 3 finale “Zero Hour,” dealing the title heroes a harsh blow, and moving us one step closer to the Star Wars films. To wit, producers promise both Rogue One’s Saw Gerrera and Mon Mothma will return in Season 4, which already has its first concept art.

Now that we’ve thoroughly put the matter of Darth Maul vs. Obi-Wan Kenobi to bed, Star Wars Rebels is gearing up for Season 3's hour-long endgame. See for yourself in the first trailer, as Thrawn makes his final strike on the Rebels, a familiar face returns, and a few Rogue One baddies come out to play.

Marvel are killing it with its licensed Star Wars title but even going back as far as the '70s, the publisher has always really excelled when it came to comics adaptations of the cinematic releases. Next month, Jody Houser, Emilio Laiso and Oscar Bazaldua bring Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to comics with an official adaptation that includes brand new story content originally cut from the finished film.

One of the most exciting, visceral and engaging films of last year was Gareth Edwards' Rogue One: A Star Wars Prequel which opened up the vast franchise in a number of ways we haven't seen before while remaining one of the most intimate and personal films in the Star Wars franchise. It was only a matter of time before Marvel adapted the film as part of their ever-popular line of Star Wars comics, and to do so the publisher has tapped Jody Houser and Emilio Laiso for a miniseries which will expand upon the events of the film.

If you thought Star Wars Rebels taking on a few Rogue One characters was big, you haven’t seen the half of Season 3. I mean, you literally haven’t, but you’ll need to after watching this new 2017 trailer, featuring more familiar sights, Mandalorian action, and one of the biggest Star Wars cameos of all!

In a world where Marvel can’t seem to get their TV and movie branches to cooperate, Star Wars managed to delight fans of either medium with back-and-forth appearances for Star Wars Rebels and Rogue One. Now, a Lucasfilm story group member speaks out on the interplay between the two, teasing “Rebels and Rogue One are all just the start of a larger strategy.”

Star Wars Rebels has already cemented a major Rogue One connection ahead, though fans of either might have caught the various easter eggs sprinkled throughout this weekend’s film. Now, Lucasfilm reveals a closer look at said Rebels cameos, while producers discuss revisiting Rogue One in a future season.

Word broke over the weekend that Star Wars Rebels might deepen its connection with Rogue One by the animated return of Saw Gerrera, himself originally a creation of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Now, not only is Rebels confirming Saw’s return in 2017, it seems Forest Whitaker himself will reprise the role! Get a first look in a new clip.

Star Wars fans taking in Rogue One this weekend may have noticed some surprising connections to the animated iterations of a galaxy far, far away, including multiple Rebels easter eggs and a notable Clone Wars connection. That connection may get much more overt, as new promo art reportedly places Saw Gerrera in line for a Star Wars Rebels appearance this season.

The following post contains SPOILERS — both real and fake ones that got shared online — for Rogue One.