Andor: 6 Things We Learned At The Press Conference

The latest Star Wars series to debut on Disney+ is Andor. Chronicling the origin story for Rogue One breakout Cassian Andor, played by Diego Luna, Andor is a unique take on the Lucasfilm franchise. Much like that aforementioned film, Andor does not feature Jedi or Sith but instead looks at a very different aspect of everyone’s favorite galaxy far, far away. In anticipation of the new series, we were invited to attend the press conference featuring the cast and crew of Andor as they discussed the creation of this new series. Check out the six most interesting things we learned from the press conference in the article below.

Tony Gilroy wanted to tell the story of Andor from beginning to end

Fans of Rogue One got to see the final part of Cassian Andor’s life, but Tony Gilroy felt there was more story in the rebel spy’s formative years. While Diego Luna was intrigued by exploring how a character could go from discovering his place as a tool for change to realizing he is capable of bigger things. Luna said that in the first episode, you will not be able to see Andor as a hero, but his development over the series will change that. Gilroy loved the challenge of showing Andor’s childhood roots to how a five-year journey brought him to where we find him in Rogue One.

Andor looks at the gray areas rather than just good versus evil

Genevieve O’Reilly, who plays Mon Mothma, said her character has always been seen as regal and composed, but in Andor, we see her struggle with the foreboding Empire which makes her feel alone. Kyle Soller, who plays Syril, said he was drawn to Tony Gilroy’s writing which shows this character who has a damaged home life and is drawn to the structure of the Empire but that he could still shift to the Rebellion. Denise Gough, who plays Imperial Officer Dedra Meero, said her character exists in the male-dominated world of the Empire but her pursuit of success climbing the ladder is a genuine story even if it is as part of a fascist organization.

This series is an entry point for non-Star Wars viewers while also special for the fans

Tony Gilroy said that Andor exists because of the passionate Star Wars fans who loved Rogue One and wanted more stories from that era. Because Disney gave him the means to make this series, his goal was to tell a story completely different than any other Star Wars tale by making this story as uncynical as possible. The desire from day one was to make this story real. In that mode, this series does not require any knowledge of the films or other series to appreciate it by making it emotionally intense across the board. It is a gamble but one he feels paid off.

The scope of Andor was felt on set along with the massively diverse cast

Denise Gough, who grew up a fan of Batman and comics but not Star Wars, said she didn’t even really connect she was in a galaxy far, far away until she was in a scene with two Death Troopers right behind her. She said at that point they all began humming the Imperial March. Adria Arjona, who plays Bix Caleen, says the set for Andor felt like ten city blocks and she would spend hours walking around and getting lost in the details. Every drawer and closet was full of props and details that made the world feel as real as possible. Arjona and Luna also felt great pride in being Latinx actors leading such a huge series which continues to be as inclusive as possible as the entertainment industry begins mirroring what the audiences watching look like themselves.

Andor is realistic, grounded, and unlike any other Star Wars we have seen

Tony Gilroy based so much on the working class elements of this story from his own youth growing up in New York state where he was surrounded by blue-collar workers. The goal in making this series as grounded and realistic as possible means that while there are still blasters and spaceships, the story itself is about the people.

There is no doubt that Andor is very different from any other Star Wars series or film that came before it. Audiences will get to finally find out for themselves as the story of Cassian Andor debuts with a season focused on the first years of his rebellion before a second and final season, already in production, takes the story up to the beginning of Rogue One.

Andor premieres on September 21st on Disney+.