Andor Showrunner Tony Gilroy's Reason Behind The Show's Lack Of Aliens
The first season of Disney+'s latest "Star Wars" steamer "Andor" has officially ended. And in the eyes of both critics and viewers, the series delivered just about everything a "Star Wars" fan could want save, of course, for galaxy-sized viewership (per Indiewire). Indeed, "Andor" has arguably rivaled even George Lucas' original trilogy in terms of world-building, character development, and narrative ambition. And the series' writing has been at least on par with the best works in the entire "Star Wars" franchise, including spinoffs and streamers.
"Andor" also fronts as solid an ensemble cast as the galaxy far, far away has yet seen, with a rarely better Diego Luna anchoring the action in the title role. It seems the only thing "Andor" is lacking in the eyes of some is scenes populated by various alien species. Such scenes have, of course, become a bit of a staple in the "Star Wars" films (i.e., the Mos Eisley Cantina, Jabba's Palace, Maz's Castle, etc.). Over the decades, some filmmakers have delighted in conjuring the wildest creature creations they can imagine for them. "Andor" creator and showrunner Tony Gilroy has clearly opted to take a different approach with his series. And according to Gilroy himself, there are a couple of pretty good reasons "Andor" doesn't front many alien species.
Tony Gilroy says the world Andor is set in isn't entirely friendly to alien beings
Tony Gilroy made those assertions during a recent interview with Collider, telling the publication, "In some places, people were saying, oh, 'Why is Narkina 5 all humans?'" After offering a hilarious logistical concern for "Andor" avoiding alien populations, the showrunner then offered one of the primary reasons the series has so far shied away from creatures, saying, "We're probably a little bit shy about it because it's such a behavioral show and most of our principles are in this particular world. And certainly, the Empire doesn't have a surplus of aliens on their side."
That last comment is pretty on point, as Empirical forces in the "Star Wars" films have historically been represented by human males, and it's not too far-fetched to presume most of those helmeted stormtroopers slot into that biological category as well. Whatever the case, Gilroy believes more alien faces will turn up in "Andor" as the narrative expands. "There's some [in Season 1], and we'll probably have more," he stated," noting, "It's a very strong flavor when it comes in. It's not just a visual flavor, it's a very strong character flavor. You have to deal with it politically." He adds, "We try to pick our shots and make them cool, I guess."
So it seems Season 2 of "Andor" may well feature a few more vintage "Star Wars" creature creations. In any case, it's beyond refreshing to find a filmmaker who puts real thought into how those creatures might change not only the show's look but also its narrative.