We’ve known from the get-go that Andor season 2 would be leading into the very beginning of Rogue One — bringing to a close Cassian’s lens on the birth of the Rebel Alliance as we go right into his final mission. But according to Tony Gilroy, it’s going to close it’s tale very close to that beginning.
Speaking to Empire about season 2, star Diego Luna and showrunner Tony Gilroy confirmed that the last trio of Andor episodes — with season 2 having a structure where, unlike season one, the 12 episodes are broken down into 3-episode chapters that will each advance a year further in the Star Wars timeline to the events of Rogue One and A New Hope — will be set just a few days before Rogue One opens. And with that end goal in mind, star and showrunner like are well aware that Andor has a lot to live up to coming off of its incredible first season.
“The risks this season will take are very different,” Luna told Empire.
“In every way,” added Gilroy. “Look, man, I’m not trying to make a career here; if anything I’m on the downhill side of a long career. But this is an opportunity. This is 1,500 pages of the most dynamic material in these people’s lives to deal with. We got it right the first time, and you don’t want to let your foot off the gas.”
And that’s not just for Cassian — we know how his story concludes, but Andor is now much more than just the story of its leading man. “Some of [the Rebel Alliance’s] core ingredients are secrecy and paranoia and lack of trust and betrayal. So, how difficult is it to build a revolution?” Gilroy teased of season 2’s driving themes. “And what happens to the original gangsters, as other people get involved?”
We’ll find out in 2024, when Andor returns to Disney+.