Star Wars: Andor Trailer Brings Phase II Clone Troopers Into Live-Action
Star Wars: Andor's Final Trailer was released during D23 Expo 2022, and among the many highlights in the footage Tony Gilroy has put together, there was one that longtime Star Wars Animation fans really loved: seeing Phase II Clone Troopers in live-action!
Any Star Wars geek knows that the bridge between the Clone Troopers of the Republic and the Stormtroopers of the Galactic Empire is longer than just an overnight change. The Star Wars: Bad Batch animated series has put a microscope on the what it meant (for a specific squad of Clone Troopers) to see the Republic era end, and the Empire start to inch toward phasing clones out in favor of obedient ne'er do wells and desperate people collected or coerced into Imperial service.
The "Reign of the Empire" era of the new Star Wars Timeline (Andor, The Bad Batch, Solo, Star Wars comics) has offered the unique perspective of seeing the Empire unfold (and stumble) through its earliest days. Phase II Clone Troopers are basically the epitome of that time period: Clone Troopers being repurposed into Imperial Service, with the armor that would later give way to the iconic Stormtrooper armor we know and love. It's one thing to see the Clone Troopers (based on Jango Fett) all acting in zombified obedience after Palpatine enacted Order 66; it will be even more unnerving to see them acting like a collective swarm in live-action, as the Empire takes over more and more key territories in the galaxy.
Stormtroopers are about as big a part of Star Wars culture as lightsabers are. In fact, Stormtroopers have inspired their own real-life groups like the 501st Legion, and even the 2022 Emmys had a big Stormtrooper moment built into the show. That's all to say: getting to see the Phase II Clone Troopers onscreen for a significant time is going to be a nice expansion on Star Wars lore; it could also be an area where there is some great connective tissue between Andor and The Bad Batch to build on. Both series explore how the new realities of the Empire forced different people across the galaxy to make deep choices about morality and/or duty, and face intense darkness just to ignite a spark of hope.
Andor stars Diego Luna, Fiona Shaw, Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Denise Gough, Genevieve O'Reilly, and Robert Emms. The first three episodes premiere on Disney+ on September 21st.