"Rogue One" Legacy Expands With Two New Marvel Comic Series

"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" continues to generate new material nearly a decade after its 2016 release. Lucasfilm confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con that two new comic series inspired by the film are on the way, according to Collider.

The announcement adds to a growing shelf of "Rogue One" material that already includes the acclaimed Disney+ series "Andor."

The first series turns its attention to Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus, the temple guardian and his gruff protector who fought alongside Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor and partisan leader Saw Gerrera on the moon of Jedha, according to Collider. Chirrut's mantra, "I am one with the Force and the Force is with me," became one of the film's most memorable expressions of conviction, a man holding to his faith in a galaxy that had all but abandoned it. The new comic will explore how the pragmatic Baze and the devout Chirrut first crossed paths, according to Collider. The issue, "Star Wars: Rogue One – Chirrut & Baze" #1, is written by Stephanie Phillips with art by Kieran McKeown and is scheduled for release Oct. 14, according to Bleeding Cool and Laughing Place.

The second series centers on Darth Vader and the political friction between the Sith lord and Director Orson Krennic during the era leading up to the Death Star's theft, according to Collider. Marvel credited the project to creators Jody Houser and Emilio Laiso, according to Collider. A separate Vader-focused one-shot, "Star Wars: Rogue One – Darth Vader" #1, written by Chris Condon with art by Luke Ross, closes out Marvel's broader anniversary line and arrives Oct. 28, according to Bleeding Cool.

Both projects are part of a larger celebration of the film's 10th anniversary. Marvel has been releasing a run of one-shots since May, each spotlighting a character from the story, including Cassian Andor, Jyn Erso and Saw Gerrera, according to Gizmodo. Lucasfilm senior editor Robert Simpson told io9 that fans have long wanted to know more about "the brave outsiders who risked everything to help combat the Galactic Empire and its terrifying superweapon," according to Gizmodo.

None of this points to a theatrical sequel. Reporting dating back to 2016 held that Lucasfilm had no plans to continue the exact story of Jyn Erso and her fellow rebels on the big screen, and the newer material has instead expanded the era through television and comics, according to NME. The "Andor" series remains the largest expansion of that corner of the timeline, following Cassian Andor's path toward the mission that defined "Rogue One," according to IndieWire.

For readers who have followed "Rogue One" since 2016, the character work in "Andor" already reframed much of what came before it, turning a single desperate mission into the culmination of years of quiet sacrifice by ordinary men and women across the galaxy. These new comics promise to do the same for Chirrut, Baze and Vader, filling in the steps that led each man to Scarif. The addition of the reprogrammed Imperial droid K-2SO and Rebel leader Mon Mothma to the expanding roster gives longtime fans plenty of new lore to work through while they wait, according to Collider.

"Rogue One" proved in 2016 that a standalone Star Wars story, separated from the main Skywalker saga, could hold its own. Ten years later, that gamble is still paying dividends, one new comic at a time.