Next month audiences will get to go back to the life of Cassian Andor in Star Wars. His experiences in Rogue One raised a lot of ideas and suggested a greyer franchise before Disney brushed over the films with a sanitized coating, and, now, star Diego Luna says the project will get to peel back the layers of his character and show how he got the depth he had at first appearance.
Luna makes the comments about his role in an article published by Entertainment Weekly today. Much of Luna’s curiosity stems from a line in the film where Andor says he has been in the rebellion since he was a toddler, and he says the show steers away from the event nature of the film to be more of a character piece charting the evolution of a person and how they handle strain and strife.
“There’s so much that this series answers, that Rogue One just questions. For me, Rogue One is very much about an event, and now we’re going to get the chance to actually understand and get to know this character — who he is, what pain he carries. What are his fears? What is his real motivation? It’s all going to be answered here.”
Elsewhere in the report Luna says they are hoping to avoid the trap many prequels fall into where the audience loses interest because they know what is coming. He says he hopes the character shifts can help avoid this, and that the first day on set felt weird after the extensive development process, and the project itself feels timely as many in the world are trying to do better for others.
“This story matters. It matters to me, mattered to the team. I believe it’s pertinent to put it out there, so it felt like we are doing the right thing. We’re telling a story about community, about people doing something for your neighbor, bringing change, reacting to an oppressive system. I thought, ‘wow, it’s a good time to be talking about the origins of a revolution and the awakening of a revolutionary.'”
Andor premieres Sept. 21 on Disney Plus. It will only last for two seasons, and is expected to be a more grounded story in contrast to other works in the franchise which often focus on the most important family of all time at the expense of billions of others.