Credit: LucasfilmSeason 2 of Star Wars: Andor is nearly upon us, according to Luthen Rael actor Stellan Skarsgård. And if his remarks are anything to go by, we might be in for the darkest, most mature Disney+ Star Wars show to date.
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Audiences weren’t exactly sure what to think of Tony Gilroy’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) prequel series, Andor, when it arrived on Disney+ in Summer 2022. Over time, however, its brilliant writing, high-stakes action sequences, and memorable performances earned fans’ favor, going on to win a prestigious Peabody Award — a first for Lucasfilm — in addition to eight Emmy nominations.
Starring Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, the show follows the titular spy-turned-rebel as he gradually learns to accept his place in the budding Alliance, all while hiding from the reach of the Galactic Empire. Stellan Skarsgård, Andy Serkis, Adria Arjona, Kyle Soller, Denise Gough, Fiona Shaw, and Genevieve O’Reilly also star.
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Now, after lengthy production delays due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Andor Season 2 has officially wrapped principal photography, though its Disney+ release date remains uncertain. However, Skarsgård recently offered a hopeful update about its release, and from the sounds of it, new episodes could roll out sooner than expected.
Speaking with Games Radar, Skarsgård, ahead of his role as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two (2024), revealed that his long-awaited return as Rebel leader Luthen Rael in Andor could come as early as late 2024 or early 2025.
“It will probably be out towards the end of the year or early next,” the actor said, suggesting that it will follow on the heels of other upcoming live-action Disney+ shows like Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and Star Wars: The Acolyte.
Additionally, Skarsgård gave fans a taste of what to expect from the sophomore season of Andor, which will also serve as its last. Although he remained understandably tight-lipped so as not to spoil anything, he confirmed that the episodes will directly lead up to Rogue One, assuring audiences that it “will be very good:”
It’s the last season of it. It ends where Rogue One starts so it’s up to that point. I think it will be very good as already the first one was satisfying for me because it’s sort of ‘Star Wars’ for grown-ups.
Skarsgård certainly isn’t wrong in saying that Andor is intended for “grown-ups,” as its nuanced exploration of the inner workings of the Empire definitely doesn’t make for the most family-friendly watch — and for good reason. Disney+ Star Wars shows, for better or worse, tend to be made with younger audiences in mind, making Andor refreshingly distinct from its predecessors.
Andor has never shied away from being a gritty, tonally serious examination of the horrors of living under the Galactic Empire, which makes the inevitable build-up to the events of Rogue One all the more devastating.
From killing off key players in the story to showing torture, overtly political commentary, and imprisonment onscreen, Andor has all the makings of an adult-centric espionage-thriller — no lightsabers or Jedi mind tricks included. In a world of generally lighthearted “Baby Yoda” quests in The Mandalorian and Jedi lore in Ahsoka, Andor has always appealed more to adults.
However, Andor seems to have started something of a trend with its more tonally mature approach to Star Wars storytelling. Although the Prequel Trilogy ended on a pretty brutal note in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), most shows and movies since haven’t dared to go as bleak with their narratives until recently, with projects like Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: The Bad Batch going all-in on darker subject matter.
Andor has opened new doors for the future of Disney Star Wars, and from the sounds of it, The Acolyte will follow a similar direction. Early reports state that the upcoming series will be the “darkest” and “most adult” Star Wars content ever produced, though that has yet to be seen.
Plus, taking that title from Andor would be quite the feat.
Ultimately, Star Wars has, and will never be, exclusively for kids or “grown-ups” — that’s the beauty of the franchise. But with so much on the line in Andor Season 2, it really does sound like Lucasfilm is prepared to stretch its TV-14 rating as far as it possibly can.
Are you a fan of Andor, or are lightsabers and Jedi more up your alley? Let us know in the comments below!