Ben Mendelsohn’s return as Imperial Director Orson Krennic in Andor Season 2 is creating a buzz among Star Wars fans. Despite earlier reports suggesting he wouldn’t appear, director Alonso Ruizpalacios confirmed Mendelsohn’s involvement. Ruizpalacios shared with The Playlist that directing the Star Wars show was “a treat,” and specifically mentioned working with heavyweight actors like Stellan Skarsgård, Forest Whitaker, and Ben Mendelsohn.
Lucasfilm has not officially confirmed Mendelsohn’s participation, but Ruizpalacios seems a reliable source considering his direct experience on set.
Season 2 will conclude the series, detailing Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor’s journey as a spy for the Rebellion, leading up to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Gilroy has teased the show’s end, emphasizing the importance of knowing the ending for creative storytelling. “If you know your ending, it really helps. We know exactly where we’re going. You know what you have to deliver emotionally and what the story has to do. It’s a decision borne of survival, but it’s good for us creatively,” he said.
Gilroy explained the narrative structure of the final season, which spans several years with significant time jumps between story arcs. “When we come back later, it’ll be literally like a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. And then, we’ll jump a year, and then it’ll be, like, four or five days, and then we’ll jump a year, and then there’ll be another four or five days, and then we jump a year, and be another four or five days,” he detailed.
Highlighting the unique approach to making the series, Gilroy remarked, “I don’t know whether anybody ever did it before because I don’t know if anybody had a chance to do it before. We’re in the brand-new era of making these shows. These shows are all new. This whole idea of how to make these shows, and the economic scale of them is new, and everything’s new.”
The second season of Andor will cover one year’s worth of story every three episodes. It will explore the stresses, heartbreaks, and triumphs of the growing rebellion. “Think about the revolution, and think about it from Luthen Rael’s point of view, and Saw Gerrera’s point of view, and Mon Mothma’s point of view,” Gilroy said. He elaborated on the evolving complexity of the rebellion, comparing it to a startup company growing into a larger enterprise.
Gilroy also mentioned the perspective from the Imperial side, hinting at their proximity to a significant energy project, a clear reference to the Death Star. “You’ll see the wear and tear, you’ll see all the stresses, all the heartbreak, and all the triumph of the 20 or 30 people that we’re carrying forward, with Cassian at the center,” he added.
Though there is no confirmed release date for Andor Season 2 on Disney+, the anticipation is high. This series exemplifies exceptional Star Wars storytelling, promising an exciting continuation of Cassian Andor’s saga.