Star Wars Rogue One Villain May Be Different Than What You're Used To

Star Wars: Rogue One director Gareth Edwards has shared some new insight into The Dark Knight actor Ben Mendelsohn's character, the evil Imperial officer Orson Krennic.

Edwards told USA Today that Mendelsohn asked him if he should give Krennic a "very posh English accent" to match up with what other Imperial officers sounded like in earlier films. The director said he should go in something of a different direction because Krennic rose through the ranks differently.

"It feels like if the Empire ever have a job vacancy, they go to the Royal Shakespeare Company to headhunt people," Edwards said. "I like the idea that Ben's character was much more working-class."

Krennic, who runs the Empire's advanced weapons research division, became director "through sheer force of personality and ideas," Edwards explained.

Edwards also teased that Krennic isn't exactly embraced by his peers and is not in close with Darth Vader. Krennic "hits a brick wall in the hierarchy where they won't let him in the club and it's going to turn into a them-or-us situation: either Krennic or Tarkin and the others," Edwards said.

The Tarkin Edwards is referring to is Grand Moff Tarkin, who was also put in charge of creating the Death Star. Tarkin actor Peter Cushing passed away in 1994, but is rumored to appear in the movie in CGI form.

According to the official character description for Krennic, he is "obsessed with the completion of the long-delayed Death Star project. A cruel but brilliant man, Krennic has staked his reputation on the delivery of the functional battle station to the Emperor."

Rogue One's story will see a group of rebels, led by Felicity Jones' Jyn Erso, attempt to steal the plans to the Death Star.

Read the full USA Today interview here.

Rogue One also stars Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, Donnie Yen, Forest Whitaker, and Mads Mikkelsen. It arrives in theaters on December 16, 2016.

DICE is releasing a Rogue One-themed expansion for Star Wars Battlefront called Rogue One: Scarif. The DLC comes out in December and a launch near Rogue One's theatrical debut seems likely.