Andor season 2 is finally arriving on our screens this month, and this time the Star Wars prequel series will bring us right up to the events of Rogue One. But what does that mean for a potential third season of the hit Disney+ show?
A grittier, more mature take on the iconic sci-fi franchise, Andor is the fourth live-action series set in the Star Wars universe, following The Mandalorian, The Book Of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Created by Tony Gilroy, the series takes place five years before events in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, as Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) becomes involved in the mounting resistance against the Galactic Empire.
The first season received an overwhelmingly positive response from fans and critics alike, with many praising the show’s compelling exploration of the Imperial regime, as well its mature themes, character development and dramatic performances. Season 2 is also expected to blow viewers away, but will the story continue beyond that?
Will there be an ‘Andor’ season 3?
Unfortunately not. Andor season 2 will conclude Cassian Andor’s story and bring us right up to the events of Rogue One. And [spoiler alert] if you’ve seen Rogue One, you’ll know that Cassian dies with his fellow Rebels after stealing the plans to the Death Star.
While this is indeed the end for Andor, Luna himself previously revealed that a third, fourth and fifth season of the series were initially considered. The reason they didn’t go ahead? It takes a long, long time to make a Star Wars TV show of this calibre.
“At the very beginning before we even started, we thought we were going to manage to do multiple seasons,” Luna explained during a spotlight panel at ACE Superhero Comic Con 2024. “And then the first season took two and a half years of our lives.”
When is ‘Andor’ season 2 coming out?
Andor season 2 episode 1 will be released on Disney+ in the UK at 2am BST on Wednesday, April 23. The show will be available around the world at the same time on the streaming service, meaning US viewers will be able to watch it from Tuesday, April 22 at 6pm PT/9pm ET.
The first three episodes of the season will all be available at release, too, so fans will have plenty to get them back into the swing of things. The series will then release three episodes at a time each week, with the new instalments dropping in the US every Tuesday night and every Wednesday morning in the UK.
NME gave the first season of Andor a glowing five-star review, describing it as “the best Star Wars show yet” and adding: “As Andor pulls away from Star Wars, it still works as a section of the whole. Spending the Disney millions on texture and depth instead of CG shininess, Gilroy gives us a grown-up sci-fi adventure that plays in the same sandbox. There’s magic here, even if it isn’t wielded by Baby Yoda.
“Feeling far more revolutionary for the franchise than Rogue One ever did, Andorproves that Star Wars can grow up without growing old. The Lucasfilm universe is clearly big enough for all kinds of stories, and this might just be one of the best yet.”