- Diego Luna returns to play the titular rebel soldier in “Andor” season two.
- He first played the character in 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”
- Luna told Business Insider fans should watch “Rogue One” right after they finish “Andor” season two.
Diego Luna, the lead actor of the eponymous “Star Wars” spin-off “Andor,” has one piece of advice for fans who finish the show’s latest, and final, installment.
“I urge people to see ‘Rogue One‘ right after the end of season two. They’re going to see a different film,” he told Business Insider at the show’s sneak-peek event in London on April 10.
“Andor” season one was met with rave reviews when it landed on Disney+ in 2021, earning a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and becoming one of the franchise’s most beloved shows. The political thriller explores Cassian Andor’s life as the Empire tightens its grip on the galaxy far, far away, before he’s tasked with stealing the Death Star plans, as seen in 2016’s “Rogue One.”
The first season was packed with suspense, gripping action, and jaw-dropping performances. More importantly, it raised the bar for what “Star Wars” could be without relying on lightsabers and the Force.
Diego Luna speaking to Business Insider on the red carpet.Eammon Jacobs / BI
Luna returned to the show alongside his costars Stellan Skårsgard, Denise Gough, Genevieve O’Reilly, and Adria Arjona for the second season, which is out on Disney+ April 22 in the US.
Tony Gilroy, the show’s creator, also spoke to BI (and revealed that Disney and Lucasfilm are developing a “Star Wars” horror project). He said Andor is “kind of an enigma” in “Rogue One,” which makes him “infinitely interesting” to explore in the TV series.
“Andor” season two leans heavily into the events of “Rogue One,” and those connections made Luna “very emotional.”
Luna said: “‘Rogue One’ is a very special film for me and was done long ago. So, going back to tell what’s behind the line or what’s behind a look or a relation, it was meaningful.”
Recalling developing his character for “Andor” with Gilroy, Luna said: “I made my backstory, as an actor you always do that, for ‘Rogue One.’ But then sitting down with Tony and building a backstory that would make sense to see in two seasons… It’s basically eight movies! Eight movies to bring all the layers necessary to understand the man who makes that ultimate sacrifice for the rebellion in ‘Rogue One.'”
Gilroy originally pitched “Andor” to Disney as a five-season show, with each chapter taking place over the space of a year before leading into “Rogue One.” In May 2024, the showrunner told SFX magazine that he decided to reduce the show to two seasons during the pandemic because of how long it took to make.
Despite this, Luna assured fans that the change has not compromised Andor as a character.
“I can tell you one thing, everything we are doing, Tony said to me in the first pitch. Obviously, things have changed and grown, but basically, it’s the core of the story he pitched me six years ago, five years and a half ago,” he said.
“I think that integrity you can also see in the show is the show we wanted to make from day one,” he added. “And we were given the freedom and the resources to do it, and I can just be pleased and happy for this great opportunity life gave me.”
Read the original article on Business Insider
