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Rogue One Writer Gary Whitta Didn't Want Too Many Cameos In The Movie


Gareth Edwards' Rogue One was chockfull of cameos from memorable characters in the original trilogy like Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Grand Moff Tarkin, Mon Mothma, and several others. Though well-appreciated by fans, writer Gary Whitta thinks that the movie could have skimped off on the fanservice.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Whitta talks about the power of nostalgia, and when it was proper in the movie to have them put in. He says:

"We did have some other characters but the reason why they're not in the film is because any time we did something like, where I'm wearing the fanboy hat and not the professional writer's hat, someone would come along and say, let's not do that character again. We don't have to be winking at the audience all the time."

One particular cameo that he thought was "too much" was that of Cantina patrons Ponda Baba and Evazan in Jedha. "You have to reign in that instinct to go back and put things in just because you loved them when you were a kid," said Whitta.

A lot of other scenes had been removed from the movie in a sense that it would be too much of a nod to the audience. Admiral Ackbar was replaced with Admiral Raddus in the Battle of Scarif, and a scene was originally going to be included with the Rebels leaving their base on Dantooine.

I loved every cameo appearance in the movie, to be honest, but I can see Whitta's point when it comes to relying too heavily on nostalgia. After all, the franchise is trying to bring newer fans in.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story comes out on Blu-Ray April 4.

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