Diego Luna starred in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the first film in the franchise to be disconnected from the main Skywalker Saga, which featured the most diverse cast yet of a Star Wars film. During a recent panel about inclusivity in Hollywood, the actor recalled not only his shock that Lucasfilm was interested in him, but also what it was liked to see the impact his character had on audiences.
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“When they called me, the first time, I said, ‘Ah, no, you’re f-cking with me. You want Gael [Garcia Bernal’s] number, no?’” Luna joked. “They’re like, ‘No, it’s you.’ Then I met the director and he explained why it was me and he said, ‘Because I like your films and I do care about stories you were telling in Latin America and I’ve seen all your films.’ And I went, ‘Perfect, amazing.’ And then we just did a film, and then when the film came out, that’s when I realized how much it meant to so many. To see a character who looked like them on screen and wasn’t dying in Act Two and getting the protagonist very angry so he could save the world. No, in this case, the guy lasted until the end.”
Fans of Luna’s Cassian Andor are in luck, as Lucasfilm recently announced the character would be the focus of an all-new live-action series for the upcoming Disney streaming service, Disney+, which will be heading into production in 2019. When the timeline of the series came up, Luna joked about how the film was set before his character’s fatal sacrifice in the film.
“He died. If you haven’t seen Rogue One, you’re not seeing it, obviously,” the actor shared when discussing spoilers about the Star Wars film. “But it’s the magic of film. I’m going to be younger and younger and younger in the next three, four years, or whatever time this takes. I’m gonna get younger, which I love. It’s fantastic if we can use technology to make me younger.”
Lucasfilm described the series, “The rousing spy thriller will explore tales filled with espionage and daring missions to restore hope to a galaxy in the grip of a ruthless Empire. A release date for the series has not yet been announced.”
Luna addressed returning to the character of Cassian Andor in a statement to the site.
“Going back to the Star Wars universe is very special for me,” said Luna. “I have so many memories of the great work we did together and the relationships I made throughout the journey. We have a fantastic adventure ahead of us, and this new exciting format will give us the chance to explore this character more deeply.”
Stay tuned for details on the upcoming TV series.
Are you looking forward to seeing the further adventures of Cassian Andor? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!
[H/T Twitter, Variety]