“Andor” hasn’t even premiered on Disney+ yet, but “Star Wars” fans already anticipate the show being incredible. And there’s a lot for fans to be excited about as the show approaches its September 21 premiere date. For one, the show marks the return of Diego Luna as “Rogue One” fan favorite Cassian Andor. Tow, “Rogue One” co-writer Tony Gilroy returns to serve as showrunner. And three, Gilroy and the show’s creative team pushed for on-location shooting and practical VFX over extensive use of the Video Volume Wall like other recent “Star Wars” series.
In other words, Gilroy, Luna, and the rest of the “Andor” cast and crew want to challenge everyone’s expectations about what a “Star Wars” series is. And Luna made that abundantly clear in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter all about the upcoming show. “In fact, we’re going to challenge every idea you have, or every answer you came up with, for why or how things happened and why this character did what he did,” Luna told THR. “Why was he willing to sacrifice everything for the cause? What did it mean when he said, ‘I’ve been in this fight since I was six years old’? What did he mean when he said, ‘I’ve done terrible things on behalf of the Rebellion”? So that’s what we’re going to challenge because everyone who watched “Rogue One” thinks they have the answer.”
In other words, if fans thought they knew what Cassian Andor was all about, think again. “We’re going to challenge that, and we’re going to come to you and say, ‘No, listen, things were not the way you imagined. They were this way. This had to happen for someone to become the person you know.’” If that doesn’t get “Star Wars” fans excited about the new series, what will? There may be some gripes about unveiling Andor’s mysterious past pre-“Rogue One.” After all, critics had similar things to say about “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and how that series fleshed out the titular Jedi’s years on Tattooine in an unnecessary way. A fair point, but Andor is a much different character than Obi-Wan, with far less overall screen time. Andor’s story is a more morally ambiguous one and shows a darker side to the Rebellion than “Star Wars” fans are used to.
And Tony Gilroy has already revealed how he will tell that story through “Andor” and its first two seasons. For example, Season 2 of “Andor” will consist of four three-episode blocks, with each block focusing on a specific year in Andor’s life. So, what does Lunda think about that structure? “I think it’s perfect,” said Luna. “It’s lovely. It’s almost like four different movies [via four three-episode blocks]. Three episodes will be a very strong block to explore a year, another year, and then another year and another year. There is also space in between each block where time passes, so we’re allowed to evolve and transform. But I think that’s part of season one, too.” That structure gives Andor more freedom to grow than most “Star Wars” characters usually receive in typical series narratives. That’s just another example of how Gilroy wants this standalone series to be a singular take on the “Star Wars” franchise.
But Luna promises that that sense of the unexpected happens in the show’s first season, too. After his interviewer admits he’s already seen the first four episodes of “Andor,” Luna replied, “Yeah, so when you saw episode three, you probably went, ‘I think I know the characters, the tone and what the series is going to be about, but then we take you where episode four goes. And you were like, ‘What!? Where are we going? What’s going on? What happened?’ So I think that’s something that this long format gives us. It’s the flexibility to literally transform and go somewhere else and meet other characters and find other planets and discover new things. It’s a fantastic format, and it’s very ambitious. It’s complete freedom. You have room, you have space, you have time, and that is lovely when you have something to say.”
A “Star Wars” show on Disney+ that takes its time, plays with audience expectations, and emphasizes the practical VFX over rampant CGI? That’s not just ambitious: it’s a welcome revision to how “Star Wars” has extended its universe on Disney+ so far. Let’s hope “Andor” lives up to its hype. The show’s first three episodes premiere on Disney+ on September 21.