'Star Wars Rebels' season 3 news: 'Rogue One' Easter Egg may be a spoiler for the animated 'Star Wars' prequel

There have been a lot of easter eggs for "Star Wars" fans to gobble up in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." Whether a reference to the prequels or the sequels, the first standalone from the franchise is surely packed with some fan service. Fortunately for fans, some specific ones from the bunch of references might actually be spoilers for the ongoing animated series, "Star Wars Rebels."

The Disney XD show is just in the thick of things with a separate band of rebels trying to meander its way across the galaxy while dodging the Empire's clutches. At this point, there is roughly around 1–2 years' time difference between the narrative that "Rebels" are treading to what went down in "Rogue One." That only means that whatever easter egg fans have spotted in the film for the TV show gives some sort of idea about what happens in its next couple of seasons as it inches its way to the events of the movie.

Fans are not quick to miss the callback to a General Syndulla during a scene in Yavin 4 base after the Rogue team has sent a message to the Alliance about their plans in Scarif. The sequence was brief but it did not go unnoticed for "Rebel" fans who were quick to assume that it was referring to the Ghost leader, Hera. As it turns out, the "Star Wars" community is right on the money this time with show creator Dave Filoni confirming the theory.

"I can clarify that's absolutely Hera being paged, not her dad," Filoni told Entertainment Weekly in a "Rogue One" easter egg compilation feature. "The movie gives that away, but I would rather have all the [references] be right. Hera will eventually become a general in the Rebel Alliance."

"None of the things we put in really jump out at you," he added. "If you don't watch Rebels, there's never a moment where you're staring at the [movie] screen going, 'Why was that important?' For the people who do know, they get that added level of immersion."

The midseason premiere episode titled "Ghosts of Geonosis" for the third season of "Star Wars Rebels" is scheduled to air on Jan. 17, 8:30 p.m. ET.