As such, Rogue One is the first instance on the blockbuster side of the Star Wars universe that fans won’t be able to watch the heroes over multiple film installments.
Considering none of the heroes of Rogue One appeared in the original Star Wars trilogy, the anthology film was tasked with explaining their absence from the Rebel forces in A New Hope — and arguably the easiest way to do so was to either depict or insinuate their deaths.
Of course, even if the Rogue One heroes were to appear in another Star Wars anthology film, they likely wouldn’t be part of the main cast and would probably be relegated to cameos or small supporting roles.
However, though there may be ways of having the heroes of Rogue One return in future Star Wars films — or other media within the extended universe — it seems unlikely.