Andor isn't a typical Star Wars TV series. Yes, it may be a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but it's arguably unlike any Star Wars project before it. However, a slow-burn approach to storytelling and a greater focus on character drama and development combined to give us a truly phenomenal 12 episodes of television in 2022.
While select fans were quick to lord Andor's superiority over the likes of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, showrunner Tony Gilroy has admitted that the series which helped launch Disney+ in 2019 deserves much of the credit.
Talking to Empire (via SFFGazette.com), he shared his belief that Andor "will never happen again," adding, "Not because we’re so great, but because no-one’s ever gonna start a show on this scale again, and shoot it practically, and have the resources and the protection to do something like this."
"Kathy [Kennedy] protected us. Lucasfilm protected us. Bob Iger protected us. The audience protected us. The Mandalorian protected us. We had all these people out there backing our play," Gilroy explained. "The success of The Mandalorian gave us the platform to jump off."
"Their success is what would fuel the whole thing. I mean, no Baby Yoda, no Andor. Seriously. Don’t think that we don’t know that," he continued. "Online, [people] try to drive a wedge all the time between us, and [Jon] Favreau and [Dave] Filoni,” says Gilroy. “It’s horrible what people say; it’s terrible. And the truth is, we don’t have a show without them. They gave us the muscle to go."
The original idea was that Andor would run for 5 seasons. However, those admittedly ambitious plans were scaled back, and the series will now end after the upcoming second batch of episodes.
As for The Mandalorian, that's skipping streaming and heading to theaters next year with The Mandalorian and Grogu movie. Check out a new promo and Andor season 2's full release schedule below.
The second season of 'Andor' takes place as the horizon of war draws near, and Cassian becomes a key player in the Rebel Alliance. Everyone will be tested, and as the stakes rise, the betrayals, sacrifices and conflicting agendas will become profound. Rife with political intrigue and danger, the series is a prequel to 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,' which portrays a heroic band of rebels who steal the plans for the Empire’s weapon of mass destruction - The Death Star - setting the stage for the events of the original 1977 film. 'Andor' sets the clock back five years from the events of 'Rogue One' to tell the story of the film’s hero, Cassian Andor, and his transformation from a disinterested, cynical nobody into a rebel hero on his way to an epic destiny.
Andor season 2 premieres on Disney+ with three episodes on April 22.