The Cassian Andor Disney+ Series Will Shoot This Year, Diego Luna Says

The long-awaited Cassian Andor TV series is finally kicking into gear, according to star Diego Luna. Luna revealed that he is preparing to start filming the Rogue One prequel series this year, making it likely that the Disney+ series will make its projected 2021 debut.

One of the most successful elements of 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story were the rich and appealing characters, with whom we could have spent hours. So it was divine providence when Disney+ announced in late 2018 that it was developing a Rogue One prequel series centered around Luna's doomed Rebellion captain Cassian Andor. But apart from occasional updates about a series writer and returning characters, we haven't heard much about what to expect. But now Luna, who has been busy starring in the Netflix series Narcos: Mexico, has revealed that filming for the Cassian Andor series will begin this year.

"Yes, we are doing it. We are doing it this year," he told ET. "It's happening, and I'm getting ready for it."

Luna wasn't able to share many details about the series, which will reportedly follow Cassian's adventures during the formative years of the Rebellion before the events of Rogue One, but said he has read some scripts, which are penned by returning Rogue One co-writer Tony Gilroy. Stephen Schiff (The Americans) is the series showrunner. "I can't wait," Luna said. "It is really cool to tell a story where you already know the ending."

The ending that Luna refers to is Cassian Andor's heroic sacrifice at the end of Rogue One, which saw all of the film's characters give their lives on the battlefield to pass on the Death Star plans to the Rebellion — events which lead right into the A New Hope. But despite that sad ending awaiting his character, Luna seems excited by the story potential for Cassian Andor, pre-Rogue One. He added:

"It is a different approach because of the beauty and it's how things happen. It's not just what happens. It's not the typical way of approaching a story. It's about how things happen, which in fact, is the same that happened in Rogue One. You know the ending, but you don't know how it happened, and we have that challenge in front of us again, which is exciting."

The Cassian Andor series was originally supposed to started shooting last year, but no updates had been shared by Disney since Gilroy was announced to board the project in late 2019. Disney has previously indicated the show will debut on Disney+ sometime in 2021.