'Star Wars' to Retcon 'Rogue One' as Franchise Ends New Trilogy

Star Wars: Andor may have sat out 2024, but the second season of the critically acclaimed series will return to screens on April 22–and it may just change everything we know about one beloved Star Wars movie.

Back in 2023, a press release outlining upcoming Disney+ content confirmed what would be arriving in the galaxy far, far away next year. Among the new titles were Star Wars: The Acolyte, the recently canceled series created by Leslye Headland, and Jon Watts and Christopher Ford’s Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. But Andor Season 2 was nowhere to be found.

“We started shooting in November,” creator Tony Gilroy told audiences at Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023. “We’re about halfway. We’re gonna shoot through August. We’re on exact schedule. [We’ll] finish in August, spend another year on post. I suppose we’ll come out the following August.”

That projection was made before Hollywood’s historic double strike—first the WGA, then SAG-AFTRA—gripped the industry in 2023. While Disney and Lucasfilm have not officially cited the strikes as a reason for Andor’s delay, the production timeline likely took a hit.

Gilroy’s series, starring Diego Luna as the disillusioned spy Cassian Andor originally launched to widespread acclaim in 2022. Despite being lauded by critics for its grounded storytelling and sharp political undercurrents, Andor struggled to reach the viewer numbers seen by fellow Star Wars series like The Mandalorian or Ahsoka.

The story picks up roughly five years before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV–A New Hope (1977), giving it a unique place in the franchise’s sprawling timeline. Unlike the Mando-Verse, which spins off from the post-Return of the Jedi era, Andor acts as a prelude to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), where Cassian’s arc reaches its tragic conclusion.

Season 1 of Andor carved out its own space in the canon, with an ensemble cast including Kyle Soller (Syril Karn), Adria Arjona (Bix Caleen), Stellan Skarsgård (Luthen Rael), Fiona Shaw (Maarva Andor), Genevieve O’Reilly (Mon Mothma), Andy Serkis (Kino Loy), and Denise Gough (Dedra Meero).

Together, they helped flesh out a world of rebellion, espionage, and the creeping dread of the Empire’s rise—through storylines that touched on both the Rebel Alliance and the Imperial Security Bureau.

The second season promises even more ambition. Rather than taking place over a single year like the first, Season 2 will span four years of narrative time, leading right up to the events on Scarif. Episodes are set to be directed by Ariel Kleiman, Janus Metz, and Alonso Ruizpalacios, with scripts penned by Tony Gilroy, Dan Gilroy, Beau Willimon, and Tom Bissell.

Andor Season 2 will begin airing on Disney+ with a three-episode premiere on April 22. From there, Disney will drop three episodes weekly until the final trio on May 13. This three-episode release structure reflects the construction of the series whereby each group will represent one year of life in the galaxy.

The conclusion of Andor in May will establish a new continuous trilogy in the Star Wars franchise. With the ending of Andor Season 2 rolling right into Rogue One and the ending of Rogue One famously moving straight into the start of A New Hope, fans will be able to embark on a tragic yet interesting journey through the Rebellion’s effort to decimate the Galatic Empire.

Now, with just under two weeks to go until the show debuts, Tony Gilroy and Diego Luna have addressed how this new season will retcon elements of Rogue One.

“I mean, we know what we have to do. We never had a moment where we let down [after Season 1],” Gilroy said via Comic Book.  “Everybody knew that we couldn’t be over-confident. And we also knew, if this works [on Season 1], we’d better write a bigger cheque for the second season. We knew that we had to go big. So, that’s what we’re trying to do. I mean, hell yeah. Hell yes. There hopefully are a lot of moments.”

The Cassian Andor actor added: “I have an answer for that one: not just in the [second] season. Even in Rogue One, you’re gonna hear some lines [on a rewatch] and go [gasps gutturally]. Before, you just passed over them. Not anymore.”

Adding additional context and meaning after the fact is not uncommon for big franchises, especially Star Wars. Over time, the galaxy has gained many new additions–whether comic books, novels, or TV shows–that expand on previously released entries, proving that change is always on the table at Lucasfilm.

Last year, Disney+ continued to expand the Star Wars universe with new characters and storylines. But as The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew landed to lukewarm reactions, many are likely hoping Andor will reignite a vested interest in the franchise’s Disney+ shows.

In a surprise move, Lucasfilm will also drop a new show during Andor‘s run on Disney+. The Tales of the Underworld series from Dave Filoni is the third in the Tales of anthology and follows fan-favorite characters Asajj Ventress (Nika Futterman) and Cad Bane (Corey Burton) as they navigate the galaxy. Tales of the Underworld will drop on May 4, AKA Star Wars Day.

How do you feel about Andor Season 2 changing Rogue One: A Star Wars Story? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below