Did Andor resonate with Star Wars fans because it didn't emphasize Force users or would it have fared as well if it featured Jedi and Sith characters in the main cast?
That's somewhat of a hot debate among the Star Wars fandom as those in support of the former notion also cite The Mandalorian as another prime example.
Lucasfilm also seems to be leaning towards that notion as its next Star Wars film with Ryan Gosling is also said to eschew the traditional Jedi/Sith conflict.
No matter which side of the argument you fall on, Andor is one of the most decorated and well-received Star Wars projects of the modern era, and many fans are sad that the series won't be continuing. That pill grows even harder to swallow when you think about the fact that the award-winning sci-fi show was originally conceived as a five-season series.
Originally, each season was going to chronicle one year of events, leading up to the story told in Rogue One. However, the series creators changed course in season 2, deciding to make it the final season with growing logistical and narrative challenges.
In a recent interview, series writer Dan Gilroy, who is the brother of showrunner Tony Gilroy, has revealed on Script Apart [via Total Film] that had the show stuck to its original five-season plan, Emperor Palpatine would have likely appeared.
"So what else would we have explored? Oh my god, where would we have gone? I mean, I can't imagine over five years we wouldn't have shown the Emperor at that point," said the writer.
He added, "I think we would have gotten closer to that world. I think we would have gone, like, we're really getting a good sense of opposition forces here, but let's go deeper into the power at the moment, the halls of power. I think we would have gone deeper into the halls of power and explored that. That would have been the natural way to go, I think, the progression of it."
Previously, Tony Gilroy stated that he didn't have any interest in including Darth Vader in the series, as he felt there wasn't any storytelling ground that hadn't already been covered by other shows and movies. "That was never on my agenda. Writing for Darth Vader is really limiting. I've done it. He doesn't have a lot to say." By extension, one has to think that would include Palpatine.
In its second and final season, Andor has secured a total of 14 Emmy nominations- including a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Forest Whitaker), and Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance ( Alan Tudyk).
The show received 7 Emmy nominations for its first season in 2023 but did not take home any golden trophies.
The Star Wars franchise now appears to be looking to the future, with several projects set to follow Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, including Ryan Gosling's Star Wars: Starfighter (set 5 years after Episode IX) and Simon Kinger's upcoming trilogy (whose first film is going to reportedly be given the designation (Episode X).