When Rogue One: A Star Wars Story debuted in theaters in 2016, no one expected to see the series continue years down the line. Especially not leading man Diego Luna. However, Tony Gilroy, who co-wrote Rogue One, had an idea on how to expand upon Cassian Andor’s story. During the virtual press conference for Andor, Gilroy was asked about his inspiration behind the Disney+ series, and the showrunner explained he wanted to be able to showcase the complexities of the character before the events of Rogue One.
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.
Being able to showcase Andor and his life leading up to the revolution was ultimately the selling point for Gilroy. While the series has a ton of characters, including some we’ve already met previously, the series ultimately focuses on Andor and the difficult times and decisions that are made leading up the events of Rogue One – just on a “big canvas.”
And Gilroy isn’t the only one excited to be expanding upon the character of Andor. Luna was quick to note how much he enjoys working with Gilroy, who he calls someone he admires, and how exciting the prospect of Andor is because it’s not just about a specific event.
First of all, just the chance to be back working with this family, getting to do more stuff with Tony, which is someone I admire, and I love his company and, and collaborating with him is amazing. So just being back felt great. But I think Rogue One is a film about an event, you know? You don’t get to know those characters. You don’t get to understand exactly where they come from, what needed to happen.
Luna
Star Wars: Andor will debut with three episodes on September 21st. The remaining nine episodes will then drop weekly on Disney+.
