Diego Luna remembers wanting to do more with his character in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The actor will be reprising his role as Cassian Andor in the titular Andor series, which will be a prequel to the movie the actor starred in.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Luna discussed how he thought about Cassian’s origin story despite believing this would be his last ride.
“I remember living every day as if it was the last. I mean, I never thought of being part of this universe at all. I was just a fan, and one day I got a call. I thought it was going to be a one-time thing in my life, and I shared it with my kids, and I saw it. I was ready to move on. And then I was invited to [return for the show], and it made complete sense. I had so much more to say and do with this role. I just wanted to explore many things that I thought about while I was shooting that a film would never allow you to explore.”
In Rogue One, Alliance Intelligence captain and spy Cassian Andor led a team of Rebel soldiers to steal the plans to the Death Star. Each member sacrificed their lives for the greater good, and Luna assumed that this marked the end for his charming character, but Cassian has a thrilling past that hadn’t yet been explored.
Andor will take place five years prior to Rogue One during the rise of the Empire and will show how Cassian becomes radicalized. He wasn’t always the Rebel leader willing to put everything on the line for a cause, and the two seasons of the show will explore the events leading up to Rogue One.
Luna had described Andor as a journey of a migrant, and series creator Tony Gilroy has said that it’s about selfless sacrifice. The first season specifically will be about how he makes the conscious decision to engage and fight against a threat so large.
Genevieve O’Reilly has spoken about reprising Mon Mothma in Andor, and she’s excited about viewers getting to know her character. She’s a politician in the Galactic Senate, and her storyline will show the difficulties of fighting a corrupt force from the inside.
Andor season one premieres on Disney Plus Aug. 31.