While initial announcements of Star Wars: Andor may have received a lukewarm reception from fans of that galaxy far, far away, the buzz has been mounting like a fast-approaching pod racer. The opportunity to expose the gritty underbelly of the Rebellion, show the early days of the Rebel Alliance and explore the moral ambiguity of a character like Cassian Andor all add up to one exciting new series on Disney+.
Andor will take place five years prior to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which introduced Captain Cassian Andor as a Rebel operative, and focus on the precipice of the Galactic Civil War, which began four years before the Battle of Yavin between the Alliance to Restore the Republic (aka the Rebel Alliance) and the Galactic Empire. Here are what fans hope to see in the new series, which is tentatively scheduled to debut in 2022.
Espionage
If there's one thing fans are looking forward to in Andor, it's a focus on cloak and dagger intrigue and good old fashioned espionage. By focusing more on spies and less on hotshot fighter pilots, it will further the story fans got a taste of in Rogue One.
If it's akin to a Cold War spy thriller, it'll provide an ambiance and mood that will set it apart from the 'Space Western' styling of The Mandalorian, and the high adventure of Star Wars: Kenobi. With Tony Gilroy as one of the writers, who worked on the Bourne franchise, the spy qualities will be in excellent hands.
What Cassian Wasn't Proud Of
As a means of puncturing Jyn Erso's lofty ideals in Rogue One, Andor interjected with a speech of his own, explaining that the Rebellion made him do things that he wasn't proud of, but he did them because he was committed to what it represented.
Fans wondered what sort of horrible acts he committed, especially considering he's technically part of the "good guys". Given that the series will stream on Disney+, it may not be able to show very much mature content, but if The Mandalorian is any indication, it will explore as much as possible.
A Fledgling Rebel Alliance
The Rebel Alliance began in whispers between figures like Mon Mothma and Bail Organa as Chancellor Palpatine took more and more power in the Galactic Senate. Andor has the potential to show how it went from a whisper to a roar, and how it rallied former of the Senate to its cause.
The Rebel Alliance was established two years before the Battle of Yavin, and in its infancy might be a story of darkness and subterfuge, where even beloved figures engage in dubious acts to propel its cause. Rogue One only provided glimpses of this process, but the series could do so much more with every episode that takes it closer to the events of the movie.
The Start Of The Rebellion
As Cassian Andor so memorably told Jyn Erso in Rogue One, he's been "in this fight" since he was six years old. That's a long time for the seeds of the Rebellion to have been growing, and fans are curious to see what they will look like when they bear fruit.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars took a look at what happened to the Separatists that got pulled into Darth Sidious's evil schemes, but most of them were pliable and villainous figureheads, not a young and idealistic Cassian Andor. The fact that he is a former Separatist will provide a window into a shadowed portion of the Rebellion's history.
Development Of Returning Characters
Though Mon Mothma and Bail Organa were two of the most influential figures in the formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, they get very little screen time in the Star Wars movies. Andor will finally be able to let fans get to know them as the risk-takers and activists that they were.
Fans will also be able to see Andor develop as an Alliance operative, and how he became friends with the sardonic K2-SO. And given the "dark side" of the Rebellion, fans should expect to see the wild card Saw Gerrera in the mix. While not every character from Rogue One will be able to return, several of them will be able to develop their characters more fully than ever before.
The Rise Of The Empire
In a clue given to fans by Grand Moff Tarkin in A New Hope, it took nearly two decades after Emperor Palpatine hobbled the Republic and destroyed the Jedi Order to disband the "Imperial Senate", meaning that during the time period when Andor takes place, it will still be populated with countless star systems under the heel of the Empire.
The rise of the Empire has been chronicled in various animated series, novels, comics, and video games, but no live-action treatment to speak of unless fans count the moment Chancellor Palpatine proclaimed himself Emperor in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. Seeing the further formation of the Empire fans love to hate in A New Hope would be fascinating.
Bothan Spies
In Return of the Jedi, Mon Mothma makes it clear that "many Bothans" died to place the vital information about the Emperor's second Death Star into Alliance hands. So far, no Bothans have ever been seen in any live-action Star Wars movies or series.
While it's true, they weren't an integral part of securing the plans for the first Death Star like Cassian Andor, fans have long waited to see Bothan spies' contribution to the Rebellion in action.
Moral Ambiguity
One of the most gripping things about Cassian Andor's character was conveyed in the opening scenes of Rogue One: he was willing to do whatever it took to further the cause of the Rebellion, including sacrificing his informant Tivik to protect the integrity of his mission.
Up until The Mandalorian, live-action Rebels have often mostly presented as morally altruistic individuals, with the exception of one scruffy-looking smuggler. To see a paradoxical figure like Andor engage in activities that fans would have normally attributed to the Empire makes for gripping storytelling, and the moral ambiguity should continue in the series.
Urban Life
So far, fans have been shown glimpses of urban life in the Star Wars Universe, such as with the metropolitan sprawl of planet-cities like Coruscant, and the bustling alleyways and side-streets of Corellia in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Andor has a chance to show even more.
The opening scenes of Andor, though still just considered a sizzle reel, seem to point to an environment that will be very urban (such as the Ring of Kafrene in Rogue One) as opposed to the wide-open desert wastes of Tatooine, or the lake country of Naboo.
Neo-Noir Aesthetic
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones offered a neo-noir vibe for the Star Wars Universe, and since the circumstances around Senator Amidala's assassination attempt, it hasn't returned. Andor provides the perfect opportunity to dive into the underbelly of Coruscant or other metropolitan environments.
Giving Andor secret missions, covert operations, and confidential maneuvers will only increase the tension, excitement, and dynamic nature of the series in a way that other Star Wars series won't be able to achieve.