Andor Season 2 Will Bring Back Star Wars Characters That Will Change How You See One Film
These days, asking anyone to give their opinion on their favorite installment of any given "Star Wars" movie or show can feel like a loaded question. Hyperbolic hot takes about the sequel trilogy have singlehandedly fueled the YouTuber Industrial Complex for nigh on a decade now, while even innocuous shows like the currently-airing "Acolyte" have stirred up a hornet's nest over, well, what can only be described as a complete nonissue for normal, well-adjusted people like (hopefully) you and me. But for my money, the high-water mark for the franchise in live-action is the first season of "Andor" and it likely won't be dethroned anytime soon ... unless creator/showrunner/writer Tony Gilroy has something even better in store for us in season 2.
While the exact premiere date for the next batch of episodes remains a distant gleam on the Death Star's horizon at this moment (an inevitable casualty of the 2023 writers and actors' strikes), that isn't stopping actor Diego Luna from giving fans even more reasons to look forward to what comes next. While attending a panel at this year's ACE Superhero Comic Con, held annually in San Antonio, Texas, the Cassian Andor star understandably couldn't divulge much in the way of specific details. But according to Popverse (via io9), he did reveal one way that watching "Andor" to completion will affect previous "Star Wars" moments — specifically, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story":
"I can tell you, 'Rogue One' is coming, so there will be characters there that you will recognize. There will be cool stuff. For those who love 'Rogue One,' this season is going to be very special. And it's going to be fascinating to go straight to 'Rogue One' after watching this second season, because you will see 'Rogue One' from a different perspective."
UPDATE: The Playlist is now reporting that Ben Mendelsohn will reprise his "Rogue One" role of Imperial Director Orson Krennic in "Andor" season 2.
Andor season 2 is about to catch up to Rogue One
Who would've thought that "Andor," a prequel/spinoff series to a prequel movie with as many highly-publicized issues behind the scenes like "Rogue One," would turn out to be the best thing this franchise ever made since Disney took over? (If anyone wanted to slightly nudge Rian Johnson's "The Last Jedi" into first place instead, I wouldn't argue!) But for a series that managed to avoid all the pitfalls that other "Star Wars" shows have fallen prey to over the years — specifically by remaining a self-contained story that relied on great writing over cramming in Easter eggs and cameos — the idea that season 2 of "Andor" will draw more connections to preexisting material we've all seen before might be enough to send up red flags among certain fans.
Well, luckily the strong track record established by Tony Gilroy means that viewers can probably breathe easy no matter what comes next. Remember, season 1 brought in a recurring character like Forest Whitaker's Saw Gerrera without making it feel like an indulgent cameo for the sake of one, all while crafting an unexpectedly compelling subplot revolving around Genevieve O'Reilly's Mon Mothma, of all people. If Gilroy and his writers can do the same with, I don't know, the robot K-2S0 (which voice actor Alan Tudyk previously mentioned could be on the table eventually) or maybe even Mads Mikkelsen's Oppenheimer-like scientist Galen Erso, I'll personally never stop singing the praises of "Andor."
Who would you like to see pop up in season 2 of "Andor"? For better or worse, you'll have plenty of time to imagine the possibilities. The premiere is likely to drop sometime in 2025.