Lucasfilm’s Andor returns for its highly anticipated second and final season on Tuesday, April 22, only on Disney+. A prequel to the film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), the critically acclaimed thriller series tells the story of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and his transformation from disinterested, cynical nobody into a key player in the Rebel Alliance.
Andor creator and showrunner Tony Gilroy — who co-wrote the billion-dollar blockbuster Rogue One — once again brings his clear, creative vision to the series, which won a Peabody Award and was nominated for eight Emmys®, including Outstanding Drama Series.
According to Gilroy, having a previously established ending for the titular character was surprisingly freeing. “It’s having the ending, it’s having the structure, it’s having the boundaries of Season 2 and the leadup to Rogue One that make it possible for the show to be good,” he said. “That restriction, that framework, really allows you to swing within that.”
Whereas Season 1 spanned a single year, Season 2 will cover four years of storytelling. The 12 episodes will release in four “chapters,” consisting of three episodes each, and chart Cassian’s growth into the hero who will eventually make the ultimate sacrifice to steal the plans for the Death Star — paving the way for the events of Star Wars: A New Hope (1977).
An Epic Conclusion
While some characters’ “fates are known,” Gilroy teased, “some are up for grabs.”
What that will ultimately mean for characters such as Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona), Saw Gererra (Forest Whitaker), Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), Dedra Meero (Denise Gough), and Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) remains to be seen. But, Gilroy said, they all have an important role to play amid the Empire’s rise. “All of our characters are so fascinating and they’re so intertwined with one another,” he explained. “They’re all tribally connected, and they inevitably lead to each other, in a way.”
As for Cassian? “It’s interesting, because Season 1 covered just one year of his life, but there’s so much that he witnessed, so much he went through. There is a lot for him to take in, to digest,” Luna said. “In the second season, we’re going to see four years of his life, and there’s still a lot of growth needed for him to get to the point where we see him in Rogue One. One thing that’s very interesting is that he has an awakening, but now he has to find out what he’s capable of. He has to understand what’s going on around him; it’s not an easy moment in the history of this galaxy far, far away to actually understand what’s going on.”
The Adventures Continue
When Andor concludes May 13, Luna believes fans will see Rogue One in a different light.
“It has changed the way I see Rogue One; I’m positive of that,” Luna said. “Rogue One is about events, but you don’t get to know the characters, what’s behind their choices. And now you will. You will know what he means when he talks about sacrifice, when he talks about doing terrible things for the rebellion. You’ll understand, because you’ll know what he’s thinking, who he’s dreaming of, who he is thinking of — and what he’s leaving behind.”