Andor actor Diego Luna says it was a surprise when he was cast in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Disney accelerated its expansion of the Star Wars cinematic universe with 2016’s Rogue One. Now it will continue its expansion of the Star Wars streaming universe with a story centered on a main character from that blockbuster film.
The Rogue One character in question is of course Cassian Andor, the Rebel Alliance intelligence officer played by Luna. For the upcoming Andor, the timeline shifts to the early days of the rebellion, and sees the titular Andor becoming a spy for the budding alliance. Along the way, Andor must overcome his Han Solo-like cynicism to embrace the righteous cause of the rebellion in its struggle against the evil Galactic Empire.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
It was indeed a surprise to many when the character of Andor was plucked from the ranks of Rogue One to be given his own show on Disney+. But for Luna himself, the real surprise was being cast for a Star Wars movie at all. During an appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden, Luna talked about winning the role of Andor, and not really believing that the whole experience was happening given his origins in international film:
“[The director] goes, like, ‘I want you to play the guy.’ And I go like, ‘Aw, really? No, no, there has to be something wrong. I’m Mexican, I just crossed the border from Mexico City, I have this accent! You know, this accent, I cannot get rid of this accent.’ And he was like, ‘Yeah!’ I always like saying it, but I thought he wanted Gael [García Bernal]’s number, you know? […] I was just amused by the idea, because he said something beautiful, he said, ‘I want to do this film with you because I saw you in Y Tu Mamá También.’ […] You see, I don’t [get that]. I mean, I didn’t do Y Tu Mamá También thinking, ‘This is gonna get me to do…,’ I was just doing a film where I spend most of the film naked, and swearing, you know, and enjoying and having fun and telling a cool story about a very specific context, my context. And suddenly that took me there, you know? It was a surprise.”
Luna indeed won critical raves for his performance in 2001’s Y tu mamá también, a road movie from acclaimed director Alfonso Cuarón. That role in fact led Luna to land a few opportunities in Hollywood movies, notably Steven Spielberg’s The Terminal, long before he hit the franchise jackpot with Rogue One. Now in Andor, Luna gets to more thoroughly explore his Rogue One character and the experiences that led him to become the rebel hero who would ultimately lay down his life in order to secure the Death Star plans.
It remains to be seen of course how audiences ultimately respond to Luna’s new adventures in Andor. But early response has largely been favorable, with critics noting the show’s slow-burn pacing, strong production design and subtle storytelling. No matter how fans respond, Andor is guaranteed to have a second season that is expected to lead directly into the events of Rogue One. When Andor season 2 arrives, it will not only wrap up the journey of Cassian Andor, it will represent the end of a long and fascinating journey for Andor actor Luna. Indeed, it seems that, to this day, Luna still can’t quite believe that his early work in films like Y tu mamá también actually led him to a role in a massive franchise like Star Wars.