On April 7, 2016, Star Wars fans got their first glimpse of their future, and it was in the past. That was the day Lucasfilm released the first trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, revealing to the world characters like Jyn Erso, Orson Krennic, Chirrut Îmwe, and, oh, some guy named Cassian Andor.
Rogue One was the second Star Wars movie in as many years and the first “Star Wars Story.” A film telling a tale we’d long heard rumblings about, but never seen in full. The story of a group of rebels giving their lives to obtain plans to the Death Star, the result of which was the first major blow in the war against the Galactic Empire. It was the first prequel movie of the Disney era, set in a timeline that many, many future stories would occupy as well.
That means it was 10 years ago on this day when everything changed. It was the first time we saw the seeds of A New Hope, who was responsible for it, and heard those unmistakable, loud, blaring sirens. Here’s that trailer again.
Can you imagine telling yourself 10 years ago, after watching that trailer, that not only was the movie going to be great, but we’d then get two seasons of award-winning television following Diego Luna’s character to set up this story? Andor has been, almost inarguably, the best thing Star Wars has created in the new era, and it’s only because of Rogue One.
Then, of course, there’s the matter of this trailer having shots in it that never appeared in the final film. Something that would be even more prevalent in the next trailer (TIE Fighter vs Jyn, anyone?) So, what we were also getting with this trailer release was our first glimpse of Lucasfilm’s turmoil and difficulty in releasing these movies. There was certainly some of that behind-the-scenes drama on The Force Awakens as well, but it was in full force on Rogue One, with Tony Gilroy coming in to help finish the film from director Gareth Edwards.
That would be a major sign of things to come. Phil Lord and Chris Miller exiting Solo. Colin Trevorrow exiting Episode 9. The Obi-Wan Kenobi and Boba Fett projects shifting from films to streaming. The list goes on and on.
And even if we didn’t realize it at the time, all of that and more was first teased in this trailer, released 10 years ago today. A day long remembered.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
