Now that Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been released on home video, it is time for fans to turn their voracious appetite for the franchise to the future…past…the past coming to theaters in the future. Early this morning, the trailer dropped for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The movie works as a direct prequel to Star Wars: A New Hope. Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is brought into the Rebellion – perhaps under duress – and is tasked with the mission of figuring out what the Empire is up to with their new weapon. The audience knows it”s the Death Star, but the galaxy doesn”t.
While Erso won”t be alone on her mission, she will not be joined by any Bothans. It”s an easy joke to make. After all, Mon Mothma herself said “Many Bothans died to bring us this information.” But she said in in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Remember, in A New Hope, Princess Leia only woman. Mothma didn”t appear until the Rebellion was planning the Battle of Endor. Until Rogue One, fans simply had no idea how the plans ended up in Leia”s possession.
Currently, Bothans are mostly regulated to the Legends mythology. For years they were depicted as a dog-like species, but as of this writing they have yet to appear in any of the Disney canon. HOWEVER. Last year Star Wars Rebels released a sketchbook of Sabine”s which included a rough drawing of what appears to be a Bothan. So Disney could be retaining their original look.
We just won”t be seeing them in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.