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- With the success of Rogue One, it is no surprise that Disney+ went back to that well for its Star Wars scripted series. That series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, this series follows an unknown period of his life, and shows fans a lot more about what makes him tick. It also helps that the Andor series is receiving high praise from critics and audiences, same as the movie featuring the hero, and that should be a good sign for the future of Star Wars properties on DIsney+ as the franchise rolls on.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was a huge box office success for the franchise. The stand-alone movie broke $1 billion at the box office, the most successful of the spinoff movies. The movie was also a critical success, with both critics and the audience praising it, with 84 percent and 86 percent fresh scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Star Wars film followed a ragtag group of rebels who fought to obtain the plans for the Death Star. In the film, much of the details about Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) remained surrounded in mystery, but there was a lot to learn over time.
UPDATE: 2022/09/24 21:35 EST BY SHAWN S. LEALOS
With the success of Rogue One, it is no surprise that Disney+ went back to that well for its Star Wars scripted series. That series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, this series follows an unknown period of his life, and shows fans a lot more about what makes him tick. It also helps that the Andor series is receiving high praise from critics and audiences, same as the movie featuring the hero, and that should be a good sign for the future of Star Wars properties on DIsney+ as the franchise rolls on.
Cassian Has Used Several Aliases
According to Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide, written by Pablo Hidalgo, Captain Cassian Andor has worked for the Rebel Alliance using at least four different aliases. AThe author gave fans a glimpse at some of the other names that Cassian has worked under while out in the field. When Andor was working as a government agent, he was known as “Willix,” and on other missions, he used the names “Aach” and “Joreth Sward.”
Interestingly enough, while working as a recruiter for the Rebel Alliance in the Albarrio sector, Cassian used the codename “Fulcrum”. Characters like Ahsoka Tano and Agent Kallus have also used the same codename while working with the Rebel Alliance.
His Father Was Killed During The Clone Wars
Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide reveals his father died when Cassian was young. His father was killed at the Carida military academy during a protest against the expansion of Republic militarism. Since he told Jyn he had been in the fight since he was six, this means his dad had been dead for 20 years.
Cassian ed the insurrectionist cell at a young age. According to the book, he was not a formal Separatist, but he spent time "tossing rocks and bottles at Republic walkers and clone soldiers."
Cassian Reformatted K-2SO
On screen, Cassian and K-2SO carry on a tradition of Star Wars odd couples. We’ve seen other charming pairings like this before, with Han Solo and Chewbacca, along with C-3P0 and R2-D2 from the original Star Wars trilogy. According to Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide, Cassian and K-2 have more than one reason for their unexpected bond.
Cassian was the one to reformat K-2S0, removing his Imperial programming and working together with the droid on missions with the Rebel Alliance. However, his work did have one caveat — K-2SO is the epitome of having no filter. Cassian programmed the droid with individuality, a quality that made him hyper aware of the odds of success and failure with their missions. In a particularly heart-wrenching scene, K-2 sacrifices himself with the hope Cassian will complete his mission.
Cassian's Known For Espionage & Reconnaissance
of the Rebellion acquire a specialized skill set through years of infiltration and sabotage missions over the years. For Cassian, he’s certainly had his fair share of espionage and reconnaissance work. Cassian has spent most of his career in Alliance Intelligence working for the Operations department. Statistics place the odds of an agent surviving 20 field missions at 23 percent—roughly four-to-one odds against.
Cassian carries around a compact security kit hidden in his boot, complete with a “sensor-baffling wallet," which grants him an extra advantage anytime he’s in a bind. He also carries around a suicide pill in his jacket, a hint that gives Andor's final moments at the beach on Scarif an added layer of meaning.
He Uses A BlasTech A280-CFE (Covert Field Edition) Weapon
Captain Cassian Andor wields a BlasTech A280-CFE weapon, as seen in action throughout Rogue One.The blaster first appears while Cassian is on the Ring of Kafrene, and later on the planets Jedha, Eadu, and Scarif. As a core pistol, the A280-CFE draws similar parallels to the rectangular NN-14 blaster that Han Solo gifted to Rey in The Force Awakens.
Later, we’re shown why the BlasTech A280-CFE gets its name of “covert field edition." The blaster features a modular construction that allows a core pistol to be reconfigured into a sniper or assault rifle. This happens when Andor loads his gun into sniper configuration and nearly kills Galen Erso while on Eadu.
Respected By His Superiors, But Mon Mothma Worried About Him
As a rebel captain, Cassian was well-respected by his superiors thanks to his previous missions with the Alliance. However, Mon Mothma worried about the future for other rebel soldiers like him. In the Star Wars Rogue One Rebel Dossier by Jason Fry, Mothma expressed concern about his future, wondering, "If we succeed and overthrow the Empire, what kind of life will someone like Capt. Andor have?”
Cassian always had to make tough decisions, like he did with Tivik. Naturally, he didn’t want to kill Tivik if he didn’t have to, but it seems like he had to make the decision on the spot, or risk Tivik spilling any information about the Rebel Alliance to the Empire. What would life be like for Andor after the war ended?
Luna Didn't Think Director Gareth Edwards Wanted Him To Play Cassian
Diego Luna mentioned in an interview for BUILD that he was excited about the prospect of the role as Cassian Andor in Rogue One, but he wasn’t sure if he was really being considered for it. Luna received a call from his agent saying that director Gareth Edwards wanted to meet him. Luna knew Edwards was preparing to work on Rogue One. However, Luna assumed that the director wanted to meet about a future project on the horizon, like an independent movie after finishing up the Star Wars blockbuster.
Instead, director Gareth Edwards started telling him about Star Wars in hushed tones, telling him about the story he envisioned for Rogue One. Luna went through another five months of recording audition tapes, flying to London, and another month of waiting for any additional news. Luna received a call from an unknown British number when he was in a hotel in Budapest, filming another movie and director Gareth Edwards officially welcomed him to the world of Star Wars.
Luna Performed Most Of His Own Stunts & Did Military Training To Prep
It should go without saying that preparing for a role in Star Wars is physically demanding. In several interviews, actor Diego Luna talked about how he prepped for his role as Cassian Andor. Luna was excited to perform most of his own stunts, and Director Gareth Edwards had him perform intensive military training for several weeks. In the film, Andor scaled walls to escape Stormtroopers while on the Ring of Kafrene and climbed up the towering Imperial citadel on Scarif.
When shooting Rogue One, one minute Cassian is shown running on sand in Jedha and the next he’s crouched in full sniper mode in Eadu. To get a feel for the action, director Gareth Edwards had some cast go camping while on set. Luna said that they would patrol the studios, and act as if they were out in the woods, fighting for survival. Like others on set, Luna walked away with several injuries, but he was felt it was worth it, being that it was a Star Wars film.
Diego Luna Is Obsessed With Jabba The Hutt
Actor Diego Luna has a serious fixation when it comes to Jabba the Hutt. With an overwhelming curiosity about feeling the slimy texture of the Hutt, Luna told Vanity Fair that he’s always wanted to touch him, and "the texture of Jabba is something [he] needs to discover." In an interview with MTV, Luna played a “Would You Rather?” game and openly itted that he would rather french kiss Jabba the Hutt than punch an Ewok in the face.
On his birthday, tons of fans shared hilarious Photoshopped images of the actor and Jabba on social media. Amused by the more imaginative creations, Diego reposted some fan art on his Instagram, thanking his fans for the sentiment.
Luna's Favorite Moment On Set Was Seeing Darth Vader
When it comes to filming Star Wars, some actors would be hard-pressed to pinpoint their favorite moment. When asked about his favorite memory on set, Luna didn’t hesitate and launched into a story about sharing a serious fanboy moment with director Gareth Edwards. On Luna’s first day on set in London, he met up with Edwards, who was doing a camera test in one of the studios.
Gareth welcomed him, and suddenly they both heard a loud burst of heavy breathing. Luna immediately turned around, excited, and they both gleefully looked at the towering presence of Darth Vader. Luna said he felt like he was taken back to when he was six years old. There were plenty of references to A New Hope, and it made him feel nostalgic and excited while filming Rogue One.
