It might sound hugely cynical, but on a surface level, there’s really no need for upcoming Star Wars series Andor to exist.
After all, this week’s Disney Plus debutant is the prequel spinoff to a prequel spinoff, and given that we know Diego Luna’s title hero doesn’t make it out of Rogue One alive, what’s the point in asking audiences to become emotionally invested in two seasons and 24 episodes filling in the gaps in a backstory we know doesn’t even make it to the beginning of A New Hope?
Funnily enough, that was one of the major elephants in the room during the development and writing process, but the early reactions to Andor have indicated that it’s definitely justified its existence by taking the small screen Star Wars mythology down brand new storytelling avenues.
In an interview with Digital Spy, Luna praised his debut in a galaxy far, far away (which is held in high regard by fans as the best feature-length content to emerge from the Disney era), before explaining why he felt Andor’s story needed to be told.
“I think that Rogue One is a great film, but it’s a film about an event. We don’t get to know those characters really well. I think it’s fascinating to go back in the story of these people that were willing to sacrifice everything for a cost. I think that makes them very interesting characters to go deeper.”
The actor makes a great point, and by the time Andor‘s two-season run is over, firing up Rogue One may even lead to an entirely different viewing experience given that we’ll have a much deeper understanding of Cassian’s motivations. Of course, we’ve got 24 installments to go before that even becomes a reality, but we’re fully on board regardless.