It appears as if all but one of Forest Whitaker’s scenes in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story were from the reshoots, so who knows how different his role was before those took place over the summer. Bear in mind that as much as 40% of the movie was reshot, so Saw Gerrera could have had a significantly different part here than what we ultimately saw on the big screen.
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The fact that he’s been talked into reprising the role is fantastic, though for now, it will only be for a two part appearance in an arc titled “Ghosts of Geonosis.” Star Wars Rebels is set years before the events of both Rogue One and A New Hope, so it makes sense that the show will shed some light on how he went from the soldier we first met in The Clone Wars to the damaged veteran who Jyn and company confronted in the recently released movie.
Star Wars Rebels executive producer Dave Filoni came up with Saw’s background alongside Lucasfilm story group chief Kiri Hart and Rogue One director Gareth Edwards, and you can find more details on that – along with a look at the Rebel in action – in this video.