10 Years Later, Star Wars is Finally Delivering the Canceled Spinoffs We’ve Waited a Decade For

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Released a decade ago, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was widely praised as a standout film in the Star Wars saga. But its impact went beyond just the movie itself, as Star Wars is a much larger cultural phenomenon. The film was supported by two novels – Catalyst by James Luceno and a novelization by Alexander Freed – creating a uniquely interconnected story experience. This carefully planned approach, with all three narratives complementing each other, was unprecedented, even within the Star Wars universe.

Surprisingly, Marvel Comics initially announced a series of comics connected to the film Rogue One, including a three-issue prequel and a separate one-off issue planned for release later. However, details about the creative teams and storylines were never shared. A month after the announcement, the comics were canceled – subscriptions with retailers were terminated, and Amazon informed customers that pre-orders were unable to be filled.

We’ve Never Learned Why the Rogue One Tie-Ins Were Canceled

In 2015, Marvel got the rights back to publish Star Wars comics, and the franchise quickly became a huge hit for them. The first comic book connected to The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Shattered Empire #1, was the top-selling comic in September 2015, and Star Wars comics continued to sell extremely well throughout 2016, boosted by exciting events like “Vader Down.” That’s why the cancellation of comics tied to Rogue One was such a significant setback and a lost opportunity for Marvel.

The exact reasons remain unclear, but the way Disney promoted Rogue One through various media has become even more remarkable as details about the film’s troubled production have emerged. Tony Gilroy recently revealed just how extensively he rewrote Rogue One after taking over from director Gareth Edwards, describing the situation as trying to rescue a failing project. Considering the massive changes Gilroy made, it’s surprising that the tie-in novel by James Luceno and the novelization by Paula Freed both turned out so well. Maybe Disney simply tried to do too much with its tie-in materials, unlike Marvel.

We’re Finally Getting the Rogue One Tie-Ins We’ve Been Waiting For

After ten years, Marvel is releasing the comic book tie-ins fans have been waiting for! Though Marvel didn’t publish comics during the original release of the films, they’re now celebrating the ten-year anniversary of Rogue One and Andor with official comic book series. Here’s what’s coming:

  • Rogue One – Cassian Andor #1 (on sale May 6), by Benjamin Percy and Luke Ross
  • Rogue One – Jyn Erso #1 (on sale June 3), by Ethan Sacks and Ramon Rosanos
  • Rogue One – Saw Gerrera #1 (on sale in July), by Marc Bernardin and Gabriel Guzman
  •  Rogue One – Guardians of the Whills #1 (releasing August), by Stephanie Phillips and Kieran McKeown
  • Rogue One – Darth Vader #1 (releasing September), by Chris Condon and Luke Ross

These stories will act as official introductions to the main film, explaining how the characters ended up where we first saw them in Rogue One. It’s a strategy Marvel would have likely used years ago, and it’s a welcome addition – though it comes after the world of Rogue One has already been expanded upon through other related stories and the Andor series.

Marvel’s new comics are particularly important right now. The success of Rogue One has grown thanks to its connected TV shows and other related content, and Marvel has a similar opportunity here. Past Marvel Star Wars comics haven’t always been consistent with established storylines, so this is a key moment for the publisher. If these new comics are well-received, they’ll add even more to the excitement surrounding the films.

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2026-02-22 20:41