Andor is set to answer all the big questions about how the Rebellion started. The prequel series will follow Rogue One protagonist Cassian Andor from his time as a disinterested outsider all the way up until the first scenes of the movie that sees him do his part to stop the Death Star.
But when will this version of Andor meet the characters we know and love from Rogue One? A new interview from the showrunner reveals we may have some time to wait, but it’ll be worth it.
It wouldn’t be a Star Wars movie without a sassy droid, and Rogue One was no exception. Alan Tudyk brought the reprogrammed Empire security droid K-2SO to life, but there doesn’t seem to be any sign of him in the Andor trailer. So when will Andor meet and reprogram the droid?
At the Television Critics Association panel for Andor on Wednesday, showrunner (and Rogue One co-writer) Tony Gilroy spoke about when K-2SO would appear. According to a tweet from Decider editor Alex Zalben, Gilroy said, “When we do it, it will be in spectacular fashion.”
We already have some idea of when K-2SO will appear in “spectacular fashion.” Andor will have a total of 24 episodes, with the first 12 following Cassian over the first year of his journey with the Rebellion, and the last 12 focusing on the next four years, culminating in the opening moments of Rogue One.
“We’re starting so far away from a person who would know how to -- or why -- to reprogram an Imperial droid,” Gilroy said. So it looks like Cassian will have to wait until the second part of his spin-off series to bring back this familiar mechanical face.
However, it looks like Gilroy isn’t saying “no” to K-2SO, just “not yet.” In the first half of Andor, the focus will be entirely on Cassian and his evolution from a self-interested survivor into someone willing to sacrifice himself to help get the Death Star plans to Princess Leia. Then, after he completes that journey in Season 1, we’ll see him assemble the team he needs in Season 2.
Andor may be the prequel to Rogue One, but it’s first and foremost Cassian’s story. That story should include a lot of familiar faces, but there’s plenty of groundwork to lay and 12 episodes to do it in.
Andor premieres on September 21, 2022, on Disney+.
