Rogue One: 8 Ways It Could Enhance The Star Wars Mythology
7. It Could Bring Added Weight To "Future" Events
Though it hasn't actually been confirmed, it's been rumoured that Alderaan - Princess Leia's home planet - will feature at some point in Rogue One.
If this rumour turns out to be true, it would emerge as a prime example of this spin-off movie actually enriching the classic trilogy by expanding on aspects of the universe that have otherwise lacked detail. After all, Alderaan's destruction provided a sad moment in Episode IV, but given that we'd never been to the planet and had no knowledge of it prior to it being blown to smithereens, its demise lacked weight.
If we spend part of Rogue One on Alderaan, though, getting acquainted with its people and its culture, its demise in the next episode is made retroactively sadder. The destruction of an entire planet is way more traumatic to witness if you've experienced life on said planet, after all; when Grand Moff Tarkin orders the Death Star to fire, audiences would know exactly what's at stake.
And that wouldn't be the only case of Rogue One bringing more weight to future events: getting to know characters like Mon Mothma in more detail will make her appearance in Return Of The Jedi more fulfilling, where - as the Rebel leader - she originally seemed to appear out of nowhere with little explanation.