Even if they only serve as support, Ender’s jeesh (or army) is exactly the group he needs to win the war against the Buggers. Much of Ender’s Game is spent bouncing between various armies before Ender is finally given his own under his command, and the kids who follow him are some of the most intriguing in Battle School.
Fan favorites like Bean and Petra, who also go on to have large roles in later books in the series, are finally being brought to the big screen. Depending on how far studios are looking to take the series, they’ve already laid the foundation for later installments by including important members of Ender’s army. Whether supporting characters with smaller roles will be included (such as Hot Soup or Crazy Tom) is yet to be seen.
Each of these characters are full of personality, and seeing the final battle take place without them would feel weird. It’s not a deal breaker, obviously, but a little fan service never hurt anybody. At least the characters who have already been cast will be played by actors and actresses who have established themselves as more than capable, meaning we can also look forward to…