Full spoilers follow for Andor season 1 and Rogue One.
Andor season 2 is the Star Wars project I'm most excited for. There, I said it. Okay, considering that it's one of the best Disney Plus shows, that's not a controversial opinion to have. But, when other exciting new Star Wars shows and movies are due out in the years ahead, Andor might not be high on everyone else's list of priorities.
Well, consider it top of mine, dear reader – especially in light of the reported return of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story's primary villain. That's right, according to The Playlist, Ben Mendelsohn's Orson Krennic will be part of season 2's supporting cast. Mendelsohn's involvement was accidentally revealed by one of season 2's directors, Alonso Ruizpalacios, who name-dropped the former Marvel star alongside returning Andor favorites Stellan Skarsgård and Forest Whitaker, who play Luthen Rael and Saw Gerrera.
There's no word on when, where, or how Krennic will show up but, given his extensive involvement in the first Death Star's creation – he's the Empire's Director of Advanced Weapons Research, after all – it makes sense that he'd appear. Andor season 1's post-credits scene already revealed that work was well underway on the planet-destroying space station. And, with Andor's second and final season set to lead directly into Rogue One, Krennic's appearance (even in a cameo capacity) would further help to bridge the gap between the Disney Plus series and Lucasfilm's underrated 2016 flick.
Which other Rogue One characters will appear in Andor season 2?
Nothing's confirmed yet, but it's incredibly likely that some of Rogue One's other major players will be part of Andor season 2's substantial cast.
Diego Luna, who plays Cassian Andor in Rogue One and the TV prequel, has already suggested that the roguish rebel will meet Alan Tudyk's K-2SO for the first time in the show's second chapter. Speaking during a spotlight panel at ACE Superhero Comic Con 2024 (as reported by PopVerse), Luna dropped even more hints that other Rogue One characters will cross paths with Cassian when the show returns.
"I can tell you, Rogue One is coming," he teased, "so there will be characters there that you will recognize. There will be cool stuff. For those who love Rogue One, this season is going to be very special, and it’s going to be fascinating to go straight to Rogue One after watching this second season, because you will see Rogue One from a different perspective. I promise you that."
Unfortunately, Andor fans (like me) have still got a bit of a wait on their hands for season 2. Last December, Marvel and Star Wars confirmed their Disney Plus show lineups for 2024, but Andor was notably absent from the latter's roster. However, speaking to Total Film/GamesRadar earlier this year, Stellan Skarsgård claimed that it'll arrive "early next [year]", so I'm hoping it'll make landfall in the first few months of 2025.
While we wait for season 2 to make its debut, read my spoiler-free review of Andor season 1 (if you haven't seen it yet) before finding out why Andor season 2 will feature a "very sexy" time jump, according to showrunner Tony Gilroy.
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