The Empire continues to reign in "Star Wars: Rogue One," the first anthology film from Disney's expanded "Star Wars" Universe, and it seems as though Darth Vader may just put in an appearance, at least according to a new rumor from Birth.Movies.Death.

"Rogue One" follows a rogue band of resistance fighters who attempt to pull off a daring mission to steal the Death Star plans. Though it wasn't clear how large Darth Vader's role would be, it's noted that he would not be the film's primary antagonist. However, it's clear that Vader will be alive and kicking in the peripherals of the film at the very least. With James Earl Jones returning to play the character in "Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal," it may not be terribly surprising if he ended up reprizing the role.

Directed by Gareth Edwards (“Godzilla”), the film’s cast already includes Felicity Jones, Riz Ahmed, Diego Luna and Ben Mendelsohn. Opening Dec. 16, 2016, “Rogue One” is set just before the events of "Star Wars: A New Hope."