Diego Luna explains why Andor's delay is actually "great news" for Star Wars fans

Andor spoilers won't be found here.

Get ready for a whole lot of Andor. Cassian Andor, that is. Because across this show's 24 episode run, we're going to spend more time with this rebel hero than we ever did alongside more famous characters like Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker.

And honestly? It's about time.

"I think that Rogue One is a great film, but it's a film about an event," Diego Luna tells us. "We don't get to know those characters really well. I think it's fascinating to go back in the story of these people that were willing to sacrifice everything for a cost. I think that makes them very interesting characters to go deeper."

On the whole, Star Wars loves to go deeper, exploring every nook and cranny of canon (cranon?) in a galaxy far, far away from our own. But with this obsession also comes a desperate need to explore the past, sometimes to the franchise's detriment.

Did we really need a Boba Fett show? Or even Obi-Wan Kenobi, if we're truly being honest with ourselves? Thankfully, that's not the case with Andor.

As Diego's co-star Genevieve O'Reilly points out, the characters in Rogue One all "felt like they'd had a life behind them." And only now do we finally get to see what that life was like.

"The opportunity to flesh that out, and to learn about that, is what I think is the genius of [showrunner] Tony Gilroy, and Tony's writing, and what he has created. He's filled it in a way that… I feel like it was always there. I feel like: wow, how can we not know this before?"

That's true of all the major Rogue One players here, but especially Andor.

"Cassian is a character that finds commitment and strength in very dark moments," says Luna, "In very difficult moments for the galaxy where people are oppressed, and where answers, apparently, aren't coming. What needs to happen for someone to get there? For someone to believe so much in a cost, and in the power or the strength of a community?"

"That's fascinating," he continues, "because it's inspiring and beautiful. It's a story about a real hero. And heroes. Even though it's called Andor, you'll get to meet a whole community – people who are crucial in the building of what we know happens."

With 24 episodes spread across two seasons, Andor will "go deep" on these characters like never before, allowing us "to get to know them" in ways that "film doesn't allow."

And that's also a big reason why Andor was delayed in the first place.

Originally, Disney+ scheduled the launch for August 31, when two episodes would air at once. However, that all changed in late July when it was announced that Andor will now premiere almost an entire month later on September 21. On the plus side, this delayed start will kick things off with three episodes at launch, instead of two.

When asked about the delay, Diego describes it as "great news," although he appreciates that some fans might not agree.

"Basically, the big idea behind the push was: how do we make sure audiences get to understand what the show will be about? What this show is bringing, and what we're aiming for? And how ambitious it is?"

"To understand that, I think you need to be able to see three episodes," continues Luna. "That was a very smart move, to say, 'We want you to understand what the show is going to bring to you. If you're going to invest your time in our show, you need to understand the big game.'"

That "big game" Diego hints at promises something more epic than usual in a franchise that's typically known for being exactly that.

"I don't think if you see one episode, you'll understand what we're talking about here, in terms of the amount of characters you’ll meet, the depth, and the range that the show has. Because [Andor] obviously delivers adventure and action, but then there's moments where it becomes very intimate and personal, and then it goes to something very political and spy-ish. It allows itself to be dark, and for there to be light again."

It's no wonder that fans already perceive Andor to be more adult, more grounded in reality, than we're used to seeing from Star Wars. That doesn't mean the show will be predictable though, warns Diego.

"Once you think you know what it's going to be like, what characters you're going to see, and where it's going to happen, the show goes somewhere else. And you find other characters, and other planets, and the show moves somewhere else, and becomes more and more complicated, and more and more interesting."

Think of it as "four films" says Luna. That's how he approached filming, and that's also why the team behind Andor were so keen to deliver as much as possible for the launch. "It's for you to get invested," says Diego, "and to understand what we're hoping to deliver."

So what might sound like bad news is actually "great news" indeed.

"I think it would have been terrible to watch just one [episode], and have to wait a full week," adds Luna. "I think it's better, you know?"

Andor premieres with three episodes on September 21, streaming on Disney+. New episodes will then follow weekly.

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David Opie

After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival. 

In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.

David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.

Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends. 

As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound. 

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