Andor is quickly shaping up to be what might be the franchise’s most ambitious TV series to date. While series like Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Book of Boba Fett have served as deep dives into the interstitial histories of fan-favorite characters, and The Mandalorian has served as a lens to look at certain aspects of the franchise, Andor will lean into the history of the Galactic Rebellion that, for many fans, was the start of it all. Andor documents the rise of the Rebel Alliance in the decades after the rise of the Empire and the apparent death of the Jedi.
And its title character is the key, says showrunner Tony Gilroy.
The Cassian that we know from Rogue One will be a far cry from the man we will meet in the first episode of the titular upcoming Disney Plus series. The series will follow his journey from an apolitical, self-interested man living in fear of the Empire, and see how he becomes radicalized to rise up and fight against the tyranny of its seemingly all-powerful rule. According to The Playlist, Gilroy spoke about Andor’s hero’s journey at a recent press conference saying it’s what drew him to the story.
“I think the main idea is we have a character in Rogue One, and we know where he ends up. And we know how accomplished and complicated he is. And the idea that we can do a story that takes him literally from his childhood origins and walk him through a five-year history of an odyssey that takes him to that place, during a revolution, during a moment in history in a place where huge events are happening, and real people are being crushed by it. The fact that we could follow somebody as an example of a revolution all the way through to the end, that was the walk-in for me. That was the buy-in, the opportunity to do that. It’s a potent moment in history. And a lot of people are facing a lot of really difficult times and difficult decisions along the way. And that’s what the show is about, the opportunity to do that on a large scale, on a big canvas; that’s why I’m here.”
— Tony Gilroy
If Gilroy achieves his goal, fans may see a version of the Star Wars Galaxy that’s never been seen onscreen before — a highly-charged political tale that shows the rise of an aggrieved band of revolutionaries willing to fight and die for freedom without the benefit of a galactic war machine. A truly grassroots uprising that will go on to change the face of the Galaxy for all time.
The first three episodes of Andor will premiere on Disney Plus on September 21.
