Andor's Secret Star Wars Wardrobe Rules Explained By Diego Luna
"Andor" is in the rearview mirror, and it feels safe to wonder if there will be anything quite like it ever again in the "Star Wars" universe. Serving as a prequel to 2016's "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" (which was itself a prequel), the live-action TV series shepherded by Tony Gilroy offered a view of this franchise unlike anything that came before it. Gritty, politically charged, and with no expense spared, it became something special. That's in no small part thanks to the show's painstaking attention to detail, which is more evident in the costuming choices than viewers may realize.
In an "Actors on Actors" interview for Variety, Diego Luna, who played Cassian Andor, talked about his career with Oscar-winner Javier Bardem of "No Country for Old Men" and "Skyfall" fame. During the conversation, "Andor" naturally came up. In discussing the practical nature of the show (lack of green screens, etc.), Luna explained that there were actually some pretty strict rules about the clothing that he and the other actors had to wear:
"The idea of this show is that we tell the story of regular people. There are no Jedis. You're in their kitchens and living rooms. You see how they nap. This is about the regular life of people in an extraordinary moment. But there are rules: No shoelaces. No buttons. The jackets just close. I got to wear a cape."
Indeed, while "Andor" season 2 did touch on the Force a bit, there are no Jedi to speak of in the series whatsoever. We aren't dealing with the Sith. This is about being in the trenches with real people trying to rise up against tyranny in the "Star Wars" galaxy. A lot of thought went into how best to portray that on screen.
Andor was very detailed in its approach to the Star Wars galaxy
The Jedi wear lavish robes. Regular people do not. It would make sense in a tech-heavy galaxy to not have shoelaces be a thing people deal with. Why would jackets have buttons when hyperspace travel is possible? These are little things viewers probably won't think about while watching the show, but small details like these add up, and that attention to world-building pays off.
That sort of attention to detail doesn't come cheap, either, as Gilroy has now confirmed that "Andor" cost an eye-melting $650 million across its two seasons. A great many fans and critics would probably tell you that was money well spent. Whether or not Disney and Lucasfilm will ever do anything like that again in the realm of streaming? That's another question entirely. But as Luna went on to explain in the interview, the practical nature of the show was not only "cool," but it also served a purpose for the series' actors and, ultimately, the viewers:
"I must confess, it feels cool. I grew up watching 'Star Wars.' We did 'Andor' like in the old days — interacting with droids and machines voiced by an actor through a speaker. [They're] these wonderful creatures, [and so are the] people working behind the scenes to move them. It's a kid's dream. No green screens. It's moviemaking."
As for the future of a galaxy far, far away, it's largely going to be taking place on the big screen in the coming years. As of right now, "Ahsoka season 2," which is currently in production, is the only live-action "Star Wars" series confirmed to be moving forward at Disney+. Aside from that, there are several "Star Wars" movies on the way, including "The Mandalorian and Grogu," which will hit theaters in 2026. After that, we have "Star Wars: Starfighter" arriving in 2027, with Ryan Gosling starring.
"Andor" is now streaming in its entirety on Disney+.