Andor Trailer Breakdown: This Is What The Revolution Looks Like
With such an endless procession of shows premiering on Disney+, it's easy to feel that pesky franchise fatigue setting in. That said, Lucasfilm's latest series, "Andor," is nearly here — and though the show won't be premiering until September, die-hard lovers of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" are certainly eating good today. Lucasfilm released a new trailer for the Diego Luna-led prequel, which explores just how the Rebellion came to be, and how it's titular Rebel spy, Cassian Andor, got to the point where he could sacrifice himself for the cause so willingly in "Rogue One."
"Andor" promises to be a wild, all-encompassing ride: With so many characters and storylines to explore — and 12 whole episodes to do so — it's clearly a very different animal compared to Lucasfilm's other streaming projects. The new trailer for Andor has also dumped a ton of new information (and introduced a few new mysteries) for fans to unpack, so let's dive right in.
Since he was 6 years old
When we first met Cassian in "Rogue One," the Rebel spy had been fighting against the Empire for most of his life — since he was 6 years old, to hear him tell it — and "Andor" seems to start at the very beginning of Cassian's radicalization. The trailer opens with two people, a mother and child, hiking up a steep mountain. The sight of TIE fighters in the distance stops them in their tracks. The Empire is coming to this unnamed world — could it be Cassian's home planet Fest, or his adopted homeworld on Ferrix? Either way, Cassian has grown up on a planet ravaged by the Empire, and he understands their presence on this planet well. Well enough to sneak into Imperial HQ as a teen, and infiltrate Imperial ranks as a young adult.
"To steal from the Empire, you just walk in like you belong," Cassian says via voiceover. "They're so proud of themselves. So fat and satisfied. They can't imagine that someone like me would ever get inside their house."
A call to arms
Cassian's racked up some serious spy skills by the time Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgard) comes calling. "The Empire is choking us so slowly, we're starting not to notice," he tells Cassian, over shots of unrest on Ferrix. A seemingly-endless procession of stormtroopers — led by Denise Gough's Imperial officer, Dedra Meero — stalk into town. And Adria Arjona's still-yet-unnamed character (seriously guys, what's her deal?) is apprehended by the authorities.
Cassian meets up with Luthen in a scrapyard, as Luthen asks, "Wouldn't you rather give it all to something real?" Up to this point, Cassian's been acting out his hatred for the Empire in a way that's only benefitted him. Luthen's giving him the chance to fight for a cause greater than himself — but Cassian isn't the only rebel that Luthen sets out to recruit.
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The "Andor" trailer follows Luthen to a world with some familiar, canyon-heavy terrain (probably not Jedha, but we can dream) to rendezvous with a few more familiar faces. "I need all the heroes I can get," he says, over shots of a Tognath mercenary, an X-wing, and a small, scrappy militia. These are the Partisans, the shady band of mercenaries that allied with Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) in "Rogue One."
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Then Gerrera himself appears, agreeing to fight with Luthen "for the greater good." Given Gerrera's inclination towards "extremity" — and his failure to play nice with other Rebel cells in the past — Luthen seems noticeably wary of joining forces. But hey, beggars can't be choosers, right?
"Call it what you will," he tells Gerrera. And Gerrera's response? "Let's call it ... war." Did anyone else get chills?
Battle on the Imperial front
With things starting to heat up across the galaxy, the "Andor" trailer pivots back to the allies of the Empire. We get another glimpse of Kyle Soller's Imperial officer, Syril Karn, over a discussion about all the "fermenting" going on in the outside world.
Dedra Meero also speaks for the first time, seemingly to Arjona's character: "You're in my net. Are you a fish, or are you a thief?"
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Arjona also shares an intimate moment with Cassian, which unfortunately doesn't reveal a whole lot more about her role in the series. A lot of fans assumed the two characters would be close when Arjona was cast — but is she an ally, a lover, or a relative?
Fun with Luthen and Mon Mothma
Back on Coruscant, Luthen — with a noticeably fancier haircut — tries to play the part of a Very Important Man. It's not clear whether he, like Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly), is a politician or a dignitary. But given the fact that he and Mothma seem close, it's definitely possible.
Both Luthen and Mothma are playing the same dangerous game, and the latter seems to be a bit better at keeping up appearances. A new character, one close with Luthen, warns him that he's slipping. "I'm not slipping," Luthen insists. "I've just been hiding for too long."
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The "Andor" trailer then cuts to a slice of a battle between Luthen and a few Imperial ships. Notably, the Star Destroyer in this scene is a deep cut from the Lucasfilm archives. It was designed by concept artist Colin Cantwell back in 1974; though it was never used in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, it's amazing that "Andor" managed to incorporate some early designs into the series.
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While Luthen evades capture from a Star Destroyer, Mon Mothma is locked in a battle of her own in the Imperial Senate. At this point in time, Mothma is fighting more or less alone — but she's holding her own well enough. "As long as everyone thinks I'm an irritation, there's a good chance they'll miss what I'm really doing," she tells another senator, played by Ben Miles of "The Crown" fame.
New faces
The "Andor" trailer wraps things up with a breathless succession of shots of the series' "Dickensian" cast. We get another glimpse of Maarva (Fiona Shaw), Cassian's adopted mother. Things don't seem to be going too well for her: A droid consoles her as a tear rolls down her cheek.
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Luthen's ally appears again — and in a spiffy red outfit this time — and Cassian powers through a series of death-defying missions. "I'm tired of losing," he mutters, over shots of stealth missions and what appears to be an Imperial prison break.
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An intriguing four-armed alien performs surgery on an unconscious young male — this could be our first look at Alex Lawthor's character Rick — crowds riot in the streets, more ships evade even more TIE fighters, and Cassian runs for his life. The trailer is absolutely packed with action, but will it be enough to tide fans over until "Andor" finally premieres? The series has been pushed from the end of August to a mid-September premiere, which seems like a lifetime away. But at least we've got hope — and if that's good enough for the Rebellion, it should be good enough for us.
"Andor" premieres September 21, 2022, on Disney+.