The exhaust port wasn’t retconned, but rather the reactor. Erso didn’t tell them to shoot a torpedo through the exhaust port, he told them to find a way to blow the reactor. They still needed to study the plans to find the way to the reactor.
Interesting, as I say I need to rewatch it.
The idea people have in their mind of Disney execs focus grouping the most profitable ideas for the script and writing them down is just a complete fiction.
Perhaps but TFA doesn’t feel like a human being’s creative vision. I hope you’re right, really. The next sequel will cement my feelings towards this all, and I don’t want JJTrek part 2 all over again.