Latest news with #JynErso
Gizmodo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘Andor' Asked Fans to Put the Theories Down
Across its two seasons, it became common to describe Andor as 'unlike Star Wars.' Typically a compliment, this phrase was an easy shorthand to use, and it's taken on greater meaning now that its cast and creatives can speak more freely about what stayed on the cutting room floor. Creator Tony Gilroy has recently discussed his active choice to not have the show feature future key players like Palpatine, Darth Vader, or Rogue One protagonist Jyn Erso. Ultimately, he thought including any of the three would've been unnecessary or overindulgent and in Jyn's case, 'disrespectful' to her original appearance. It's a surprising level of restraint that Star Wars hasn't always been the best at exercising, and despite how disappointing it may be to fans of those characters, it was ultimately the right call. The franchise tends to get a little too cute with its callbacks and cameos, and when it indulges in fan service, it really indulges. (There's a reason why Rise of Skywalker quickly became derided as 'written and directed by Reddit.') That Star Wars is in constant conversation with its fanbase isn't inherently bad, and much of it wouldn't exist without this approach. But the way Andor goes about it is more one-sided, instead reminding audiences that it's in charge and telling them to meet it on its own terms. This was, according to Gilroy, a conscious decision: he revealed in 2022 he instructed his writers and crew to treat this like any other show instead of a Star Wars show. 'We told people, 'Do your thing. You're here because we want you to be real.' […] It really gets into people's heads, but to change the lane and do it this way, it takes a little effort,' he said to the Hollywood Reporter. In some ways, it feels like the show was made in isolation from its own mothership franchise and any idea of what the reactions would be like—for better and worse—but it could easily just be how locked in Gilroy and company were during production. He's on record as taking Star Wars seriously and treating the setting and characters with real, considerate intent. In many cases, that means working ahead of the audience, like crafting Kleya and Luthen's backstories so viewers wouldn't think they were sleeping together, or treating Cassian's missing sister Kerri as a thread in his life that he'll just have to live with being unsolved. In another show, or maybe the same show but with more time, Cassian probably would've gotten a definitive answer before flying off to begin Rogue One, and with how espionage-focused this all is, Kerri would either have to be a secretive Kleya or a woman in the ISB or another rebel group with a particular interest in him. Those, or making Cass' childhood droid B2 into his adult droid companion K2SO, would've been somewhat understandable (albeit completely strange) soap opera-esque twists in another show, but they wouldn't be right to how Andor operates. Fan theories often involve characters getting a happy ending or what they want to some extent, and Andor isn't really the type of show where those thoughts are allowed to foster and fully take shape. A repeated throughline for many of its characters is their being denied the chance of a future they wanted or may not have realized was possible until it was too late. For the most part, that's meant a grim fate of some kind awaited them; Syril Karn's much-predicted change of heart for the Ghor was never going to manifest in some betrayal of Dedra or joining the Rebels—as actor Kyle Soller tells it, being killed was the right outcome for his character. But those who make it through to the show's end don't get off unscathed, since their final appearances are punctuated with an undercurrent of bittersweetness or darker, sadder conclusions to their stories. Andor is a matter-of-fact show, and it isn't trying to get a deliberate reaction out of audiences the way other shows do, Star Wars or otherwise. It was, first and foremost, concerned with telling the story of Cassian's growth into a prominent rebel leader and how those caught in his orbit were shaped by his actions. It didn't care what the viewer thought because it knew it had the goods, and that confidence sure did pay off.
Newsweek
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
'Andor' Creator Says Fan-Favorite Cameo Would Have Been 'Lame'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors The "Andor" series finale has come and gone, and, as some fans have noted, without any appearances by Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, "Andor" creator Tony Gilroy didn't mince words about why the character didn't show up. He said bringing her in for a cameo would have felt "lame" and "disrespectful." Read More: Top 5 'Buffy' Character Returns We Need in the Reboot "In the end, I realized if people didn't absolutely have to be there, they shouldn't," Gilroy said about Jyn Erso's absence. "And it would've been lame to bring Jyn back as a cameo. That would've been really disrespectful in a way. I'd rather honor 'Rogue' and keep it straight." Andor (Diego Luna) in Lucasfilm's ANDOR Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. ©2025 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved. Andor (Diego Luna) in Lucasfilm's ANDOR Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. ©2025 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved. Lucasfilm Ltd™ If you know the timeline of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" compared to that of "Andor", it does seem unnatural to try to shove Jyn Erso into it. "Andor" ends just the titular hero and K-2SO flying off to meet the doomed spy Tivic. That's well before the pair of them meet Jyn. Gilroy told EW he felt strongly enough about it that he never even considered including Erso. Asked about it, Gilroy said, "No. I was asked that several times. I tried to sketch some versions along the way of what we would do. Episode 12 is very unique. It's its own energy and we are not trying to hype anything in 12. We always knew it was going to be not a low energy, but a different kind of episode." Indeed, the final episode of "Andor" is not filled with a lot of action. After an early battle between K-2SO and the ISB, it goes mainly into resolution mode until Andor and K-2 head off to find Tivic. Of the very end of the episode, which sees Bix carrying the child she had with Andor, Gilroy said, "I mean, people who thought [Jyn Erso] was the love of his life are going to have to reorient their thinking." "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" unfolds after the events of "Andor", and sadly, neither Andor, Jyn Erso, nor any of the story's main heroes survive the events. It deals with the heroes. In the climax of the film, the heroes sacrifice themselves to upload the plans for the Death Star to the Rebel Alliance, thus beginning the events of "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope". Both "Andor" and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" are currently streaming on Disney+. More TV: Sarah Michelle Gellar Debunks 'Buffy' Reboot Casting Rumors 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 3 Sets Premiere Date
Geek Tyrant
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
ANDOR Gave ROGUE ONE's Ending the Emotional Context It Always Deserved — GeekTyrant
For years, Rogue One fans have quietly debated a moment that unfolds with a hug. As Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor kneel on Scarif's beach, watching the shockwave of the Death Star's blast approach, they embrace, no kiss, no confession, just a wordless moment of shared acceptance. It struck many as an unusual restraint for a Star Wars film. Why not lean into the romance, especially after the emotional weight of their mission? Now, thanks to Andor , we finally understand why. And it hurts in the best possible way. The Disney+ series not only explores Cassian's journey from cynic to rebel hero, it digs into his heart. Through his relationship with Bix Caleen, Andor gives us a version of Cassian that isn't emotionally closed-off but deeply tethered to someone who's shaped his life. Their bond isn't fleeting or casual, it's personal, layered, and built on sacrifice. In fact, Bix is the one who leaves Cassian behind, not out of abandonment, but so he can fully commit to something bigger than both of them. Bix's final message to Cassian seals the heartbreak. In it, she reaffirms her love and says, 'We'll find each other after the war.' And that's the gut punch because we know he never makes it out of Scarif. This knowledge reframes the entire Jyn-Cassian dynamic in Rogue One . What some once saw as a missed romantic opportunity now feels like something deeper. Cassian's emotional tether isn't about a budding romance with Jyn, it's about the legacy of a love that asked him to fight for something more. And that makes the ending of Rogue One even more powerful. Jyn and Cassian's bond is built through shared trauma, mutual respect, and the raw clarity that comes from knowing you're about to die for a cause. It's not about unspoken romantic tension, it's about two people who found in each other a mirror of their own sacrifices. The beach hug isn't shy or restrained, it's everything they needed to say in a single, silent moment A kiss would have felt like fan service. The hug felt like truth. In showing us Cassian's past, Andor enriches Rogue One' s present. It reminds us that not every connection is romantic. Some are forged in fire, sustained by memory, and carried to the end, not with passion, but with purpose. In doing so, it makes that final hug on Scarif all the more haunting.
Digital Trends
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
Tony Gilroy added a key line to Andor because his son teased him about it
If you've ever paid close attention to Star Wars, you might notice that certain key lines of dialogue seem to echo across stories and characters. 'Rebellions are built on hope' is one such key line. We first hear Cassian deliver it to Jyn Erso in Rogue One, and she then uses it with the rebel council to convince them to go after the Death Star plans. Now, thanks to Andor, we know that that line originated with Ghorman bellhop Thela, who delivers it to Cassian just before he throws a bomb that blows up part of the imperial army. That line's echoes and reverberations are hugely important to the overall shape of the rebellion, but it turns out that showrunner Tony Gilroy didn't originally plan to include it. Recommended Videos 'My son is a big Star Wars fan, and he often comes to the house and busts my balls at the computer about how little I know,' Gilroy told Entertainment Weekly. 'One day he's there at the house and he's goofballing on me, and he's like, 'Well, who's going to introduce 'rebellions are built on hope'?' 'And I go, 'What do you mean?'' Gilroy added. 'He goes, 'Well, in Rogue One, Diego says it. And Jyn repeats it.' And I go, 'Well, isn't that from somewhere?' He goes, 'No, man, what are you talking about? You better figure that out.'' By the time Tony and his son discussed this, there wasn't much time to figure out how to include it, so he decided to give the line to a relatively minor character. 'The hotel clerk is such a groovy little character,' he says. 'It definitely comes from my son busting me on not having it in earlier [scripts]. I was like, 'Good catch.' So that's where it comes from.' It might not have been hugely thought through, but it undoubtedly adds more resonance to the use of that line in Rogue One.
Forbes
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Andor' Season 2 Arrives With Near-Perfect Critics' Rating
"Andor" Season 2 partial poster. The second season of the Disney+ Star Wars spinoff series Andor is being showered with praise from Rotten Tomatoes critics. Andor, of course, is a prequel series to the hit film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which was released in theaters in 2016. In the film, Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) are among a group of resistance fighters on a mission for the Rebel Alliance to steal design plans for the evil Empire that contain a weakness that makes the powerful weapon vulnerable. Directed by Tony Gilroy, Andor Season 1, which consisted of 12 episodes, was released in 2022. Andor Season 2, which also consists of 12 episodes, will debut on Disney+ with the first three episodes on Tuesday. 'The official summary for Andor Season 2 partially reads, 'The second season takes place as the horizon of war draws near and Cassian becomes a key player in the Rebel Alliance. Everyone will be tested and, as the stakes rise, the betrayals, sacrifices and conflicting agendas will become profound.' In addition to Luna, the cast for Andor Season 2 includes Stellan Skarsgård, Genevieve O'Reilly, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, Adria Arjona, Alan Tudyk, Faye Marsay, Varada Sethu, Elizabeth Dulau, Ben Mendelsohn and Forest Whitaker. The review embargo for Andor Season 2 lifted on Monday and the series to date has earned a 98% 'fresh' rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics based on 55 reviews. The RT Critics Consensus for Season 2 of the Star Wars series reads, 'Investing startling conviction and gravity into the Star Wars sandbox, Andor's superb second season lights a fire of rebellion that heats up the screen.' Kelly Lawler of USA Today is among the top critics on RT who give Andor Season 2 a 'fresh' rating, writing, 'The second season is a deeply affecting narrative about love, sacrifice and belief that is desperately dark, even if Star Wars fans know that eventually, the good guys will win.' Nick Schrager also gives Andor Season 2 a 'fresh' rating on RT, writing in The Daily Beast, 'Thrillingly intricate, suspenseful, tragic and hopeful, it fulfills the promise of the galaxy far, far away, telling a uniquely nuanced, mature, and gripping story that's at once distinct from, and yet inherently wedded to, the Skywalker Saga.' Another top critic lauding Andor Season 2 on RT is Sophie Butcher of Empire Magazine, who writes in her 'fresh' review, 'The blood of this iconic franchise — the heart, the values, the triumph over evil — runs through its veins. It will make you fall in love with Star Wars, whether for the first time or the 50th.' Also joining most of the top critics in praise of Andor Season 2 on RT is Alison Herman of Variety, who writes, 'With Season 2, Andor cements itself as the gold standard of what modern Star Wars can be.' The only 'rotten' review from the top critics on RT comes from Barry Hertz of the Globe and Mail, who writes, 'Could a second (and final) season of Andor live up to the level and intensity of storytelling already set by [director Tony] Gilroy? To borrow the syntax of a franchise-favorite hero: largely, no, the answer is.' Andor Season 2 will begin streaming on Disney+ at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with the release of the first three episodes. The remaining episodes will be released three at a time every Tuesday through May 13.
