If ANDOR Had Stuck To Its Original 5-Season Roadmap, The Emperor Would Have Appeared

If ANDOR Had Stuck To Its Original 5-Season Roadmap, The Emperor Would Have Appeared

Lucasfilm's critically-acclaimed Andor Disney+ series might look drastically different if the show's creators had stuck to the original five-season plan.

By MarkJulian - Sep 01, 2025 02:09 PM EST
Filed Under: Star Wars
Source: SFFGazette.com

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). 

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NonPlayerC
NonPlayerC - 9/1/2025, 2:10 PM
it would be natural for him to appear in andor. not so natural for him to appear in episode IX
asherman93
asherman93 - 9/1/2025, 2:14 PM
@NonPlayerC - To be fair:
NonPlayerC
NonPlayerC - 9/1/2025, 2:20 PM
@asherman93 - User Comment Image

you've convince me, I now no longer think there are any flaws in episodes 7-9 lol no his return isn't as far fetched to me as Lukes 180 on values. I think I was done with the new movies after last Jedi
mountainman
mountainman - 9/1/2025, 2:29 PM
@NonPlayerC - Luke trying to kill a young apprentice that he sensed darkness in flew completely in the face of him trying to save his father after he had done FAR worse.
asherman93
asherman93 - 9/1/2025, 2:42 PM
@mountainman - Except he only considered it for a moment. Then he realized, "Wait WTF am I doing?"
Unfortunately, he hadn't deactivated his lightsaber, Ben woke up and...

It was a tragic case of Luke having a lapse in judgement/moment of weakness, becoming the right man in the wrong place at the wrong time.
And Luke spent the next seven years kicking himself for it, letting his failure define him so deeply and believing himself to be better off forgotten.

I know the feeling, I've been there.
NonPlayerC
NonPlayerC - 9/1/2025, 2:47 PM
@asherman93 - him even pulling his lightsaber out is against who Luke became in return of the Jedi. then instead of trying to fix his mistake he ran from it and just became a shut in. Vader was a mass child murderer who's responsible for enslavement and the murder for thousands if not millions. His nephew had a bad dream. I think the Luke in epidote 6 maybe would have gone after him in the least. If not for his own sake but for Han and Leahs sake.
NonPlayerC
NonPlayerC - 9/1/2025, 2:48 PM
@mountainman - agreed
mountainman
mountainman - 9/1/2025, 2:59 PM
@asherman93 - Sure, but then Luke shouldn’t have isolated himself when he allowed the New Order to take over the universe. Fans to see Luke set up the New Jedi Order, not fail and abandon the cause. The sequels destroyed both him and Han. There really isn’t any justifying this storytelling blunder and it’s a key reason why Star Wars as a brand is in the bad place that it is right now.
mountainman
mountainman - 9/1/2025, 3:02 PM
@mountainman - First Order damn it. Whatever that poorly written Empire clone was called.

Apologize to any fans of the band New Order.
Matchesz
Matchesz - 9/1/2025, 2:57 PM
Just finished rewatching season 2, really disappointed there’s 18 seasons of walking dead and only 2 of Andor
Batmangina
Batmangina - 9/1/2025, 3:16 PM
Oh, cool. I always wondered what happened to Palpatine.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/1/2025, 3:31 PM
I guess that makes sense because as he said , it would have made sense to get deeper into “The halls of power” as Gilroy said since you would eventually have atleast a scene of the ISB & such reporting their progress to the Emperor about the Rebels & their activities…

I’m glad it didn’t happen though since a decrepit cloaked old man and his heavily armored enforcer with breathing issues likely wouldn’t have fit the more “grounded” and “real” vibe of the series which many dug (though some didn’t).

Anyway as it is , the show was solid overall and certainly the best SW live action series thus far imo!!.

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