Despite serving as a sequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Andor season 2 will not be tonally similar for generally practical reasons. The sophomore season, which is set to premiere on April 22 on Disney+, will officially bridge the gap between season 1 and the movie and should conclude Andor’s story. Disney recently revealed more about the upcoming season at Star Wars Celebration, where several stars appeared to discuss their characters’ fates. While many are already definitive, given Rogue One‘s ending, there is still room for change.
At the convention, where ScreenRant was in attendance, Alan Tudyk (K-2SO) and Diego Luna (Cassian Andor) discussed what they expected for the season. They addressed that there would be major tonal differences, as it lacks the “light and fun” of the tragic Rogue One, due to the “emotionally weighted” story. They also acknowledged that the season was impacted by the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes of 2023, which made the set a much more tense environment.
Alan Tudyk: When I shot in Andor, it was a tense time actually in the business. Tony had to leave because the strike happened, and so we were nearing a strike, and so we had a timer going and it was trying to get everything done before the strike happened. So it was fun and it was beautiful to be back and especially back on a Star Wars set where everything that is done is art. I feel like all the walls, the panels, everything, but we were in a crunch on the story as far as what was happening in the story was very serious.
Diego Luna: I think the tone in Andor is different than Rogue One. I think in Rogue One, we had moments where we were allowed to be light and fun, and then there was, I mean, there’s a lot of darkness in Rogue One too, but there was moments that were meant to be funny and loose and Andor doesn’t have many of those. And you’ll see a different tone in K2’s performance in Alan’s performance because everything is weighted, emotionally weighted in this second season. And it’s true that, I mean, these two seasons, the first one we shot while Covid,
It was one of the first shows that went back to the studio. So the rules to execute were rough. There was no interaction, it was difficult. And we were all far away from home in difficult moments. And then for this second season, we went through the strikes. So it was quite a complicated shoot. But I think that kind of energies behind that, we are really making sure we get it and we get it right because there might not be another chance to actually do it. There’s that sense of, of something being in risk constantly.
What The Tonal Changes Mean For Andor
It Will Never Be As Light As Rogue One
As Luna acknowledged, Rogue One is already an exceptionally tragic movie. After all, it ends with the death of numerous heroes and still sees the Death Star continue construction, even if those heroes do uncover the plans to destroy it. The lighter moments existed largely to connect viewers to the characters, but that is not entirely necessary in Andor season 2, as audiences have already grown attached to Cassian Andor and his co-stars. The bleak story could better set up Rogue One in a more realistic way, which this show has always worked to do.
The Rebels should become stronger with every episode.
There is still a sense of hope in the upcoming season, even if it will remain a remarkably bleak story. After Andor season 1’s ending saw Andor joining the Rebel Alliance, season 2 will see other characters joining the ranks to fight back against the crushing Empire. As others begin to wage a war against the Empire, the Rebels should become stronger with every episode, even if this early alliance will undoubtedly struggle against Emperor Palpatine, Vader, and the rest of the Imperial forces.
Our Take On Andor Season 2’s Dark Tones
It Is Perfect For Its Titular Star
Andor season 1 was successful because it featured brilliant storytelling and understandable motivations for its leading character. If season 2 shied away from that for comedic moments, it could completely undermine everything that season 1 was attempting to build. The sophomore season has already proved itself by earning praise from critics, as the first reactions to season 2 had ScreenRant‘s Tom Bacon calling it a “solid contender for my favorite Star Wars story… ever.” Fittingly, despite the dark tones, Andor should continue to thrill critics and viewers alike, because it has never lost sight of the tragedy of its story.
