'Andor' Star Reveals What Made Him Sign Onto The Show
What makes an actor decide to work on a movie? Is it the script? Is it the director? Is it the producer? What made Robert Downey Jr. sign on to play Iron Man for ten movies and become Iron Man personified? (No, Robert Downey Jr. is not the next actor to appear in the Star Wars universe anytime soon, although I would not mind seeing him in the galaxy far, far away.)
The Star Wars franchise made such a big impact on pop culture since it debuted onscreen in 1977. It made Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill household names. The new generation of actors and actresses who have grown up watching Star Wars would sign up in a second to be a part of the beloved series. On the other hand, the veteran actor Stellan Skarsgård had a different reason for joining the Disney+ series Star Wars: Andor.
“When I saw Rogue One, it had much more atmosphere and seemed a little more mature — and that was Tony Gilroy, who’s the showrunner on this one. So, hopefully this one will be a little more than little plastic people falling over.”
Stellan Skarsgård as astrophysicist Erik Selvig in Thor
The showrunner for this new series is none other than the co-writer of Rogue One himself, Tony Gilroy. With the man responsible for the quality of Rogue One at the helm, we can see why Skarsgård, who has good things to say about the rogue movie, would not hesitate to be a part of its prequel. At first, Gilroy was set to direct many episodes of Andor. However, due to international travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Toby Haynes would handle much of the directorial duties instead. With his previous works including Doctor Who and Black Mirror, we have high hopes that he will preserve the feeling of Rogue One in Andor.
Many fans commented on the darker tone of Rogue One that sets it apart from other movies in the saga. Younger audiences (like this author's teenage nieces and nephews) had mixed feelings about the movie. On the other hand, older viewers (many of whom had probably seen the original Star Wars in theaters) praised the foreboding atmosphere that evokes different emotions that are not present in many other Star Wars movies. It is no surprise that the prequel to Rogue One, which would follow the life of the Rebel spy Cassian Andor, would have similar feel. In Rogue One, this chaotic good character had no qualms of using morally questionable methods to accomplish his goal, whether it be sabotage or assassination. Andor could portray the events that mold him into the person we see in the movie.
"What do you know? We don't all have the luxury of deciding when and where we want to care about something. Suddenly the Rebellion is real for you. Some of us live it. I've been in this fight since I was six years old. You're not the only one who lost everything. Some of us just decided to do something about it." - Cassian Andor
Stellan Skarsgård will join Diego Luna and Genevieve O' Relly, who will reprise their roles as Cassian Andor and Mon Mothma, respectively. Skarsgård's role is one of the tightly kept secrets. This only adds to our excitement and anticipation for the film. Would he be on the side of the Galactic Empire or the Rebel Alliance? Would he be an Imperial officer or a Rebel spy? Perhaps he would be a pilot or a smuggler? After all, Skarsgård did mention another reason for joining Andor.
"...I’m not the most mature person myself, so who doesn’t want to go and fly a spaceship?"
Skarsgård is no stranger to Disney. He had previously appeared as Bootstrap Bill in Pirates of the Caribbean, and Erik Selvig in Thor, and The Avengers. He will play Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in the upcoming Dune series.
Filming for Star Wars: Andor is currently in progress, and there is no release date as of yet. The next Star Wars series slated for release is The Bad Batch (May 4, 2021). Other shows currently in production include The Book of Boba Fett (December 2021), Obi-Wan Kenobi, and season 3 of The Mandalorian.
Source(s): ComicBook.com, Syfy Wire