Star Wars: A Rogue One Prequel Like Andor Was 'A Joke' On-Set, Says Diego Luna
Not many entries in Lucasfilm's ever-expanding "Star Wars" franchise have been welcomed with as much acclaim as "Andor" Season 1. The Disney+ original series, which premiered in late 2022, takes place several years before the events of 2016's "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" and follows one of that film's heroes, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), as he slowly but surely evolves from a low-level criminal to a radicalized galactic rebel. Following its premiere, "Andor" not only received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, but its fanbase has only continued to grow in the months since it made its long-awaited debut.
Despite the sterling reputation "Andor" has earned, though, "Star Wars" fans may be surprised to learn that Diego Luna and his fellow "Rogue One" co-stars used to laugh at the idea of ever making a prequel to their 2016 film. Indeed, in a new Variety interview with fellow "Star Wars" actor Hayden Christensen, Luna revealed that no one involved in "Rogue One" ever actually thought they'd make a prequel about any of the film's characters. "It was a joke on-set [among] all of us, like, 'Ah, one day we should [show] how these people got here,'" the "Andor" star recalled.
"We were discussing it, but we never took it seriously because we didn't know if ['Rogue One'] was going to be liked," Luna continued. "We had to wait for the film to come out to understand that there was room for something like ['Andor']."
Rogue One's success paved the way for Andor
Fortunately for everyone involved, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" proved to be a major commercial and critical success when it was released in December 2016. Not only did the film go on to gross over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, but it still holds an impressive 84% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. That score makes it one of the higher rated "Star Wars" films that has ever been released, and it's clear that the success of "Rogue One" helped Lucasfilm, Diego Luna, and writer Tony Gilroy find the confidence to make a prequel like "Andor."
For its part, "Andor" has gone on to receive even more acclaim than "Rogue One." As a matter of fact, the series' current 96% Tomatometer score makes it the highest-rated live-action "Star Wars" title on Rotten Tomatoes. While the show's 12-episode first season takes place a few years before "Rogue One" as well, it's been said that "Andor" Season 2 will close the narrative gap between the series and its 2016 predecessor. As a result, "Andor" will serve a similar role in the "Star Wars" franchise that "Rogue One" does. Much like how that film's ending leads into the start of "Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope," the conclusion of "Andor" Season 2 is expected to directly set up the opening scenes of "Rogue One."
In the meantime, it's worth noting that "Star Wars" fans aren't the only ones who hold "Andor" and "Rogue One" in high regard. During his "Actors on Actors" conversation with Luna, Hayden Christensen revealed that he was also impressed by the two titles. "['Rogue One'] was one of my favorite 'Star Wars' films," Christensen told Luna, "And 'Andor,' I think, is so successful, too."