There’s no waiting around for a renewal here. Andor season 2 has been confirmed, and filming has already begun on follow up to the incredible Rogue One prequel.
So, what next for the Star Wars series? Creator Tony Gilroy has already been pretty open about what to expect from Andor season 2, which is also set to be the final season. In our guide to the Disney Plus show we’ll dive into what’s been said about Cassian’s next steps – including time skips and new characters.
We’ll also dig into some release date speculation, piecing together some clues as to when we can expect Andor to return. Plus, we’ll run through potential story beats (including Gilroy laying out how the show will end), the cast, and when a trailer could crop up. It’s all here in our cheat sheet to Andor season 2…
Andor season 2 release date speculation
As per Collider (opens in new tab), Andor season 2 started filming on November 22, 2022 and cameras will roll right the way up to August 2023. While no release date has been confirmed, that clues us in on when we can expect the new season to be out on Disney Plus.
The first season wrapped filming in August/September 2021 and debuted a year later on Disney Plus (its original August 31 release date was pushed back by a few weeks). If that’s the case again then, sadly, we’ll have to wait until 2024 for Andor season 2 – most likely around September again. Tony Gilroy confirmed as much, telling Collider: “If past is predicate, and we do the same thing we did before, it’ll be on the same schedule. It will come out two years later.”
The new season will also run for 12 episodes, meaning the show could finally come to a close in late 2024.
Andor season 2 cast should feature some returning Rogue One faces
There’s a long list of names we expect to return for Andor season 2. Obviously, Diego Luna is back as Cassian Andor. We can’t take things for granted given the upcoming time jumps – more on that below – but all of the main leads and secondary characters should also be back.
That includes Stellan Skarsgard as Luthen; Denise Gough as Dedra Meero; Kyle Soller as Syril Karn; Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma; Faye Marsay as Vel; Varada Sethu as Cinta, and Adria Arjona as Bix.
While some characters – such as Fiona Shaw’s Maarva and Andy Serkis’ Kino Loy – won’t be back, there should be an extended focus on other peripheral characters. Brasso (Joplin Sibtain), Saw Gerrera (Forest Whittaker), Sergeant Mosk (Alex Ferns), and Perrin (Alastair Mackenzie) all fall under that category. The ISB will likely bulk up their ranks, too, and could see the return of the likes of Partagaz (Anton Lesser) and Supervisor Blevin (Ben Bailey Smith).
Given its close proximity to Rogue One, more characters from the Star Wars spin-off could appear in Andor season 2. The Alan Tudyk-voiced K2SO is likely to show up. Tony Gilroy told The Hollywood Reporter (opens in new tab) of the droid’s absence in the first season: “When we [show K2SO], we’ll do it in a spectacular fashion as opposed to presenting it and ignoring it, or presenting it or hiding it, or the bad versions we would have been forced to do.” That sounds very much like confirmation to us.
Of course, there are other Rogue One characters – such as Ben Mendelsohn’s Krennic – that would mesh well with the show’s tone. No confirmation yet, but don’t be surprised if we get a cameo appearance or two.
Andor season 2 story: when is it set and what happens next?
The first season of Andor ended with several of its major players at a crossroads. Andor has seemingly (and permanently) been taken under the wing of Luthen – all while the shadow of the Death Star hangs over the show. He’s likely going to be the focal point of the rebellion, helping it build from a small group into the Death Star-destroying force we see by the time of A New Hope.
Mon Mothma, meanwhile, has joined forces with businessman Davo Sculdun. Their childrens’ union will help keep the Empire from digging around Mothma’s funds – and will enable Mon to move more money towards the fledgling rebellion effort. Given the time skip, she might have a more public-facing role in the rebellion. The Empire’s grip on the galaxy will also be slightly looser after their rout on Ferrix.
Speaking of the Empire, the ISB’s Dedra is one of the people most affected by the finale. After being attacked by the people of Ferrix, she’s lost her confidence (and her terrifying glare). Might Syril be the one to help her regain her mojo as the rebellion grows and grows? For more on how the first season ended, check out our Andor episode 12 review.
Andor season 2 will also cover a four-year time span, from 4 BBY right up to the first scene of Rogue One in 0 BBY. Check out the Star Wars timeline for specifics on where it lands in relation to major events in the franchise.
“We come back a year later. It’ll be very different. The next four years [of story] are not about becoming a revolutionary. They’re about learning to be a leader and how difficult it is to put the alliance together and what happens to people who are the original gangsters versus the establishment and a lot of different other issues,” Gilroy said in an interview with Rolling Stone (opens in new tab).
The creator has also teased the season 2 finale and its connection to the wider Star Wars universe. “Our last scene of the show, our 24th episode, will walk the audience directly into Rogue One and directly into the first scene of Rogue One,” he told THR.
On top of that, the second season will effectively be divided into four parts. Each three-episode block will cover one year in Andor’s life, up until the events of Rogue One.
“We’re going to do three episodes and jump a year, and three episodes and jump – we’re going to do four years in 12 episodes,” Gilroy told us earlier this year. So, expect more House of the Dragon-style discourse about whether the show is skipping around in time too much.
When can we expect an Andor season 2 trailer?
All eyes on Star Wars Celebration in April. By then, a large chunk of filming will have been complete and – fingers crossed – that will mean there’s enough footage to put together a trailer for Andor season 2. It may only be a brief teaser, however. A longer trailer will potentially release in June or July of 2023, depending on the show’s release date.
For more on what’s to come in a galaxy far, far away, check out our guide to upcoming Star Wars movies.
