Star Wars Series Andor Wouldn't Exist Without Baby Yoda, According To The Show's Creator

We'll have to wait until next year to see "Star Wars" return to the big screen, but a galaxy far, far away is coming back to television later this month when "Andor" season 2 arrives on Disney+. Diego Luna is returning as Cassian Andor to finish what he started in "Rogue One" back in 2016 (and, more specifically, what he started in 2022 when the first season of the show debuted). For many fans and critics, "Andor" is the best of what "Star Wars" has had to offer on television to date. That said, the show's creator, Tony Gilroy, has credited its existence to none other than Baby Yoda himself, aka Grogu.

In a recent interview with Empire, Gilroy discussed "Andor" season 2 ahead of its premiere on Disney+ later this month. During the conversation, Gilroy explained that "The Mandalorian," which was the first live-action "Star Wars" show ever made, helped pave the way for other series like "Andor" to exist:

"The success of 'The Mandalorian' gave us the platform to jump off. Their success is what would fuel the whole thing. I mean, no Baby Yoda, no 'Andor.' Seriously. Don't think that we don't know that."

In case you'd forgotten, Baby Yoda was introduced at the end of the very first episode of "The Mandalorian." Long before he had an official name, his presence set the show up for success because it offered instant intrigue (and cuteness) to go along with Pedro Pascal's Mando. It was the perfect yin and yang scenario. "The Mandalorian," overall, also couldn't be more different from "Andor." But it did serve as a proof of concept, cementing that live-action "Star Wars" could exist on a massive scale made for TV.

"We were protected all the way down the line," Gilroy added. "[Lucasfilm President] Kathy [Kennedy] protected us. Lucasfilm protected us. Bob Iger protected us. The audience protected us. 'The Mandalorian' protected us. We had all these people out there backing our play."

Things have evolved a great deal at Disney and Lucasfilm since "The Mandalorian" premiered in 2019. Streaming has become the dominant force in media. At the same time, studios are realizing that spending endlessly on streaming isn't a great long-term business strategy. Meanwhile, we haven't had a new "Star Wars" movie since "The Rise of Skywalker" arrived in December 2019.

That's set to change in 2026 when "The Mandalorian and Grogu" hits theaters. Indeed, director Jon Favreau is bringing the titular characters from the world of streaming to a big screen near you, which illustrates just how successful "The Mandalorian" has become. Gilroy, speaking further, explained that certain fans try to pick sides between the likes of "Andor" and "The Mandalorian." In his mind, though, that's a shame:

"Online, [people] try to drive a wedge all the time between us, and [Jon] Favreau and [Dave] Filoni. It's horrible what people say; it's terrible. And the truth is, we don't have a show without them. They gave us the muscle to go."

"Star Wars" can and should consist of different flavors for different fans. There's no reason why we can't have stuff like "Skeleton Crew" and "Andor." It's a big galaxy and there should be room for various sorts of stories. "The Mandalorian" was just the start; it didn't have to be a template for every show that followed.

As for "Andor" season 2, it's one of the most expensive "Star Wars" things ever made. It's also going to conclude the series, despite the fact that there was originally a five-season plan. "No-one's ever gonna start a show on this scale again, and shoot it practically, and have the resources and the protection to do something like this," Gilroy added.

"Andor" season 2 premieres April 22, 2025, on Disney+.