Star Wars Should Reuse The Original Andor Story For A New Show

When Lucasfilm and Disney announced that they would be making a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story focused on Cassian Andor, the reception was mixed. On one hand, fans were excited to get more information regarding Cassian’s backstory, but some also doubted whether a prequel show focused entirely on Diego Luna’s Rebel was necessary overall.

Those doubters were proven wrong when Andor season 1 released, which was met with acclaim from both fans and critics alike. The series has since been nominated for multiple Emmys and Golden Globe Awards, highlighting the success that it’s had since being released.

Andor almost ended up being very different, however. Showrunner Tony Gilroy was not involved with the show’s development early on, and the original writers hired eventually moved on. The initial planned story was different, with Gilroy later coming in and changing things to make the series that fans now know and love.

The new book The Art of Andor, which was released this week, revealed the original pitch for Andor from Jared Bush (of Zootopia fame). Bush proposed a story that involved Cassian Andor being wrongly accused of being an Imperial spy, which is an interesting enough story for Lucasfilm to consider adapting it for a new series, perhaps set in the New Republic era.

Jared Bush’s Andor Would Have Focused On Spies In The Rebellion

As stated, Jared Bush’s Andor pitch centered on Imperial spies imbedding themselves within the Rebel Alliance. Cassian Andor would have been falsely accused of being a spy, and from there, would set out on a journey to clear his name, with the premise being descibed as such:

“The fledgling Rebellion experiences a crippling setback when an Imperial mole hidden within its ranks decimated a series of rebel bases. Cassian Andor, a young intelligence operative, is one of the few who survive, only to be falsely accused of being the mole himself.

Out in the cold, Cassian discovers the only way to clear his name and find the mole is to infiltrate an Imperial planet which holds the key to uncovering the mole’s identity.”

Bush also proposed two different titles for the show, neither of which were Star Wars: Andor. Bush first suggested Star Wars: Alliance, a reference to the Rebel Alliance’s position at the center of the story, and also pitched Star Wars: Andor Five as another potential title. However, Lucasfilm have preferred simpler titles in recent years, often opting for Star Wars plus the name of a character (Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars: Ahsoka, etc.).

The Art of Andor book also reveals that K-2SO would have played a much bigger role in the earlier version of the show. In Tony Gilroy’s Andor, Alan Tudyk’s droid wasn’t introduced until the final episodes of season 2, but Bush wanted his and Cassian’s relationship to be the heart of the show.

Another major character in this version of the show was Avnee, with concept art showing her to have blue skin with blonde hair. Avnee is said to be “a non-allegiant mercenary named Avnee…who lives on Okara obtaining and selling intel to the highest bidder.” The book also states that Cassian and Avnee “probably” have a romantic history with one another.

Bush’s take on Andor would have centered on the planet Okara as opposed to Ferrix, which was the main base for the story of Gilroy’s version. Okara is described as an Imperial planet “much smaller than Coruscant,” with comparisons with Quebec City and Prague.

The book also clarifies that the spy story was inspired by another famous movie franchise — Mission Impossible. The Tom Cruise-led series features all kinds of spies and espionage, as well as plenty of action, too.

The Original Andor Story Was Made Without Tony Gilroy

The original version of Andor was made without the input of Tony Gilroy. Gilroy had received plaudits for his role in rescuing Rogue One: A Star Wars Story after months of production troubles and script issues. Gilroy changed many things when he came in, including the ending, as he was the one who suggested that all the main characters should die at the conclusion of the story.

Gilroy also included the iconic Darth Vader hallway sequence, which has gone on to inspire Star Wars to recreate it with other famous characters like Luke Skywalker and Darth Maul. Gilroy felt that Darth Vader needed a big moment in the movie to truly announce his presence, but something that wouldn’t overshadow the collective journeys of the lead heroes like Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor.

Ultimately, Gilroy’s involvement proved to be a game changer for both Rogue One and Andor. Both projects had some production difficulties, and Gilroy came in, took over, and elevated them significantly. Andor was especially improved by Gilroy’s oversight, as he had the control and time to tell a groundbreaking story that changed Star Wars forever.

Right now, the Star Wars franchise is primarily focused on the New Republic era, which has become the primary area of the timeline that Lucasfilm have honed in on. Various series (and a movie) have been set in this period, including The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, The Book of Boba Fett, and, most recently, The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Many of these shows highlight the troubles that the New Republic have with recovering from the Empire’s rule. Ahsoka and The Mandalorian season 3 in particular highlight how the New Republic were short-staffed and didn’t clamp down on the growing resistance to the new government, which ultimately led to the rise of the First Order.

Therefore, the original Andor idea, with spies and secrets galore, would fit right into this era. After all, this time period shares many similarities with the rule of the Empire, and many of the same characters are still around, including Mon Mothma. As a result, there’s still plenty of space to use this Andor spy-story concept in a new show, and one that’s set in the time of the New Republic.