Andor has cemented itself as the crown jewel of Disney+’s Star Wars lineup. With strong writing, storytelling, and political intrigue, fans can’t stop talking about the series and how it came to a close.
We are now learning that that a Princess Leia cameo was discussed and considered for Season 2! In a recent interview with ScreenRant, Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy revealed that early in the development of Season 2, there were discussions about bringing Leia Organa into the fold.
She wouldn’t have been included as a major character, but more like a subtle inclusion, but it never made it past the drawing board. Gilroy said:
“There were some conversations early on, there was much to be made. This is in the sketching stage. This is in the really soggy beginning, trying to figure out what to do because trying to figure out, I was trying to make that Investiture Week I idea.
“I was trying to get the most out of that investiture week and those parties, and we have Alden’s party now… and we’re making a thing out of it. And we were trying to find out on the timeline where she would be in the Senate.”
Leia did appear briefly in Rogue One, the film Andor directly leads into. There, she was portrayed by actress Ingvild Deila with Carrie Fisher’s likeness digitally superimposed using VFX. She only had one word of dialogue… “Hope”.
So, a Leia appearance in Andor could’ve made narrative sense. But Gilroy made it clear that logic doesn’t always equal good storytelling. He said:
“There were some nutrients for a scene between her and Mothma that if she was going there at 16 and Mothma had gone to the Senate when she was 16, there was some basic cool things for a scene, but it never got past that, and it never went to the casting stage, or it never got more real than that.
“I remember talking to Kathy [Kennedy] about it and talking to Pablo [Hidalgo] about it, but it never got traction, and then it became a distraction.”
While it would’ve been interesting to see Leia show up, I can see how it would’ve been a distraction. Season 2 currently sits at a near-perfect 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Season 1 right behind at 96%. That makes it the best-reviewed Star Wars live-action series to date.
Gilroy and his team clearly had a vision, and while the temptation to tie in more legacy characters must have been strong, Andor’s strength has always been in its restraint. It didn’t need the familiar faces to tell a powerful story, it carved its own path, even if that meant turning down the opportunity to include Princess Leia.
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