Andor breaks with Star Wars and offers a new take on Rebellion and the Empire

Andor, available on Disney+, is so much more than Star Wars. It’s also the franchise’s first real step into a more mature and mature universe. Something that its director and screenwriter made clear from the start of production.

In particular, explaining his interest in showing in the series a complex element that is rarely touched upon in a story related to the George Lucas franchise. What happens to or at what point they ordinary people, far from interesting historical events. In addition to the most famous heroes and villains.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Gilroy explained his unusual point of view and reflected on the universality of Star Wars. Particularly when the saga opens up new paths for its characters.

According to the creator, his version of a galaxy far, far away in Andor she is more interested in faceless people. Those who have to work strive to survive. Those in prisons, on ruined planets, bureaucratic officials in the offices and corporate places of the Empire. “There is vital information in the little-studied reflections of a very vast and often epic mythology.”

invisible faces in Andorfrom Disney+

“I like to build smaller,” Gilroy said. Vanity Fair. The way the story was told was clear from the first episodes Andor. In the world of the series, the characters are skilled mechanics like Bix Kalin (Adria Arjona) or caring mothers like Maarva Andor (Fiona Shaw). They both have in common that they are not great epic characters, keepers of secrets destined to change the universe, or amazing powers. In fact, like many other characters in the production, they are only loyal and devoted to those around them. As well as emblems of character, determination and some understated power, which the plot deftly uses.

“Everything starts with small events in large spaces, and then I just follow them in detail,” Gilroy explains his creative method. “You prepare these characters and believe in them. You really do what they need and what they fear.” Gilroy wanted to show that resistance is much more than ships and weapons. Each of them bears on their shoulders a certain responsibility for the future.

“The pressure on people and the events that take place (in Andor) is like being in France during World War II. Who are you? Who are you betraying? What are you saying? How do you operate? What should we do? Shouldn’t we be paying attention? Should we join the rebellion? I mean, it’s exciting. That’s my approach.”

Anonymous people who carry the galaxy on their shoulders

Difference between Andor and the rest of the Star Wars universe is obvious. The rest of the franchise leans towards the fantasy genre, somewhere between mythology and an emotional sense of predestination. On the other hand, Andor take a close look at the gray and neutral spaces, at the life of your characters from their small daily battles.

Thus, even symbolic figures such as Mon Mothma are analyzed in terms of their home environment. A senator does not command battles or lead a heroic rebellion. At the moment, she is a woman full of questions, doubts and circumstances that confuse her. An approach to the characters’ inner worlds that turns their story into an intimate look at Star Wars..

Every idea in Andor it is associated with daily heroism, with invisible and often moral deeds that must pass through their most visible faces. The credit for such a complex landscape, according to Diego Luna, the protagonist and producer Andor, the result of Gilroy’s understanding of the franchise. “He never writes in terms of good and bad or black and white. He lives in gray areas and is always worried about contradictions and complexities,” the translator explained.

“These characters make mistakes, react to them, and try to get better. But sometimes they fail, and sometimes they don’t! This series is about people from both sides, their struggles and their daily lives. I think it’s an ambitious idea, but that’s what we had in mind,” Luna concluded.

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See all episodes Andorone of the best series star Warsalready available in Disney+

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