Andor EP Teases Fans Will “Never See Star Wars the Same Way Again” (& He’s Right)

Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy teases that once the show’s second and final season airs, Star Wars fans won’t look at the franchise the same way ever again. Ahead of the Andor Season 2 premiere later this month, Gilroy and star Diego Luna spoke with Empire to discuss what’s in store for the fledgling Rebellion as they wage war on the Empire. Gilroy wasn’t shy about illustrating the immense impact this has on all the characters involved, emphasizing the effect participating in a wide-scale revolution has on multiple aspects of their lives. Luna also hinted that parts of Rogue One will forever be recontextualized, saying that certain lines of dialogue will take on a new meaning and cause an emotional reaction.

“What is the real effect of time — pressurised, painful time — on ordinary people that hopefully you care a lot about?” Gilroy said. “What happens to their love affairs? Their relationships? Their homes? Their children? What happens to everything around them, if you’re thrust into this vice-grip of revolution? Those are the big tectonic moves of the second season.”

Gilroy specifically talked about what’s at stake for Luthen Rael. “Now, all of a sudden, he’s going public. What do you do if your currency is privacy and secrecy, and failure is death?” he said. “How do you scale up? How do you play with others? How do all the disparate pieces of the Rebellion come together in Yavin?”

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Andor Season 1 set itself apart from other Star Wars projects by embracing a darker, serious tone and storytelling approach that underscored the desperation of those pushing back against the Empire’s oppression. The strategy worked to great effect, as Andor earned widespread critical praise and a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys.

Over the past few months, Lucasfilm has generated hype for Andor Season 2 with an extensive marketing campaign that highlights the hard-hitting action and compelling drama audiences have come to expect from the show. A trailer released in late March spotlighted the return of Director Orson Krennic and the Death Star’s presence this season, illustrating Andor‘s strong connections to Rogue One.

Andor is essentially an origin story for the Rebel Alliance, tracing things back to when the freedom fighters were largely operating in the shadows. Much like how Rogue One added weight to the events of A New Hope, Andor Season 1 has already provided plenty of fascinating context about the Rebellion to change people’s perspective. In particular, Andor made a point to highlight the incredible sacrifices rebels made in order to secure a brighter future for the galaxy — whether it’s Mon Mothma reluctantly doing business with shady individuals or Luthen’s memorable monologue in “One Way Out.” The show has done a great job illustrating the incredible challenges the heroes face, adding an immense amount of depth to the franchise overall. The original trilogy clearly depicts the Rebels vs. Empire as a traditional “good vs. evil” tale, but Andor adds shades of gray to the latter, singling out moments where the “good guys” have to do something morally questionable for the greater good.

It will be very interesting to see what Gilroy has in store with Andor Season 2. He’s already confirmed that the show will cover the origins of the Rebel’s base at Yavin, which is just one way it will change how fans watch Rogue One and A New Hope. Season 2 will also depict how Cassian befriended K-2SO, meaning the third act of Rogue One should become even more of an emotional gut punch now. Whatever Gilroy and Co. deliver, it will surely be memorable additions to canon. Andor doesn’t get bogged down in fan service, so everything should work together to fundamentally alter the franchise in striking ways.