8 Months Ago, Andor Creator Tony Gilroy Gave the Advice Star Wars’ New Leadership Need to Hear

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Many fans and critics agree that Andor is one of the best things Star Wars has ever produced. Its creator, Tony Gilroy, took a bold chance by centering the show on Cassian Andor, a character not widely known in the Star Wars universe, and by making it a story that leads into the movie Rogue One. He also intentionally left out many of the familiar elements usually found in Star Wars projects.

The first season of Andor showed promise, but felt like a smaller, dedicated fan favorite. The second season, however, proved the show had become something much bigger. Not only did the creators successfully meet the expectations for a second season, but they delivered the first Star Wars show that felt like high-quality, critically acclaimed television, ultimately becoming an Emmy-winning cultural success.

As a huge Star Wars fan, it feels like we’re at a really interesting turning point. Kathleen Kennedy has stepped down from running Lucasfilm, and now Dave Filoni – the guy behind The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian – is taking on a major role. I’ve heard he wasn’t the biggest fan of Andor, which is a bit worrying. It makes me wonder if we’ll ever see another Star Wars show that’s as different and mature as that one was.

Tony Gilroy’s Star Wars Advice Is Exactly What Lucasfilm Should Be Listening To

Dave Filoni initially gained recognition as a protégé of Star Wars creator George Lucas and became a leading expert on the franchise’s history. He successfully expanded the Star Wars universe with popular animated series like Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. However, his recent live-action projects, including The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and The Book of Boba Fett, have received a mixed reaction. Many viewers feel that shows like Ahsoka require a significant amount of prior knowledge to fully enjoy, which has caused some division among Star Wars fans. There’s concern within the community about Filoni taking on an even larger role in shaping the future of the franchise.

Eight months ago, Tony Gilroy discussed his vision for the future of Star Wars during a question-and-answer session on the Backstory Magazine podcast, outlining what he believes should be the guiding creative principle.

When developing stories based on existing intellectual property, it’s tempting to immediately use everything available. However, a better approach is to add new elements to the story world rather than simply reusing what’s already there. Focus on expanding the universe, not just playing with existing ideas, and think like a storyteller building something new.

That quote could be seen as criticism of Dave Filoni’s approach to Star Wars, but it doesn’t have to be. A lot of fans have reasonably pointed out that Star Wars often relies too much on familiar characters and storylines for the sake of nostalgia. While Andor was far more complex than the analogy suggests – it offered a mature and uncompromising look at the rise of fascism and the difficult choices people face – the core idea holds true. Andor introduced compelling new characters like Luthen Rael, Bix Caleen, and Kleya Marki, and it also uniquely deepened our understanding of existing characters. Mon Mothma, Orson Krennic, Bail Organa, and Cassian Andor all felt significantly more important and interesting after the series.

Just as Andor successfully expanded the Star Wars universe while still honoring its past, the new team at Lucasfilm can do the same. This is already happening with Star Wars: Starfighter, the next film directed by Shawn Levy. Levy’s film will be the first to explore the Star Wars galaxy after The Rise of Skywalker, suggesting that the creative ideas behind Andor were well-received and will lead to even more exciting stories.

You can stream Andor and all Star Wars content on Disney+.

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2026-01-23 16:14