It would be completely reasonable to say that Rogue One is one of the biggest movies of 2016. So it may surprise you to learn that we almost had a completely different movie. In an interview with Collider, Ben Mendelsohn — who plays Orson Krennic — revealed what went on behind the scenes both with the conception of his character and the film, itself.

Mendelsohn signed on based on the character of Krennic, not the script, itself. Director Gareth Edwards came to him and discussed the character, and they allowed Krennic to develop as they filmed, so he remained similar to the initial pitch. As the story evolved, the characters changed with it.

As it turns out, it wasn’t just Krennic that changed over time, but the story of Rogue One also did. Mendelsohn revealed that, during the filming process, they would shoot the same scenes multiple times in a variety of ways as the story was created. Mendelsohn even confirms that the new scenes would essentially create a whole new movie: “with enormous differences within, I would’ve said, 20 or 30 of the scenes.”

So, with all the different scenes filmed, was there anything the actor felt was overlooked? Though he imagined things going one way while filming, the final product ultimately revealed something different. In the end, though, Mendelsohn says he understands how everything fits together to create the movie we know and love.

“And there were a couple of times I was like, ‘Oh wow! He went with that. That one, yeah. Ok, I get it.’”

Ben Mendelsohn, then, went on to describe what drives Krennic. As it turns out, the character feels like an outsider. He wasn’t born into a higher class and had to work his way up the ranks, resulting in the ambitious villain we see on screen.

Love Mendelsohn’s work? You’ll be able to see him in the upcoming Ready Player One and Darkest Hour.