Diego Luna stars in Andor, which has been hailed by critics and long-time enjoyers of Star Wars as one of the most brilliant cinematic tales to come out of the colossal, ever-expanding $51.8 billion media franchise. The George Lucas-envisioned universe, in recent years, has seen various spin-offs and several live-action series expounding the over-arching narrative and critical essence of the acclaimed franchise.
While such recent Disney-produced releases have enjoyed their fair share of success and appreciation, the one that was especially lauded for its rather mature, political, and complex storytelling happened to be Andor, spearheaded by Tony Gilroy. The 2022 endeavor enjoys an approval rating of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Instead of relying on cheap thrills (in the form of unnecessary cameos, incessant nostalgia, or over-the-top fanservice), the sci-fi action adventure entirely depends on an engrossing, gripping, and fascinating story.
Recently, the star of the revered show, Diego Luna commented on the elements that allow Andor to stand out within a franchise that has so many intriguing projects, initiatives, and undertakings. Additionally, he highlighted an interesting setback that the multi-media franchise has been facing, which his show effectively corrects.
Read also: Andor’s Diego Luna Reportedly Out of the Race for MCU Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards
Diego Luna Believes Star Wars Is A “Heavy” Franchise
The show premiered in mid-2022 and introduced the audiences to the potential of what Star Wars‘ Disney+ shows can bring to the table. Following the journey of its titular character, Cassian Andor, the series serves as a narrative precursor to the 2016 spin-off film Rogue One, and additionally, the original 1977 Star Wars film. With its realistically engaging characters and an intricate, deeper plot, the Tony Gilroy-created endeavor broadens the Star Wars universe while paying tribute to the entirety of what has come before.
Many have dubbed the Luna starrer a “breath of fresh air” for the highly-venerated franchise; something it was in dire need of. While the viewership that the show received may not have been as impressive as what the likes of The Mandalorian or Obi-Wan Kenobi have enjoyed, it still gave fans and non-fans a grounded tale like no other, effectively fixing one of the main problems that the 46-year-old franchise was recently suffering from.
Andor does not follow the formulaic model of success. It’s unique in its approach. It is completely different from what we have ever seen in Star Wars. For non-fans of the George Lucas-constructed universe, the 2022 series becomes an easy gateway into the convoluted, yet inter-connected franchise. As claimed by Diego Luna himself, the entirety of Star Wars, when seen as one amalgamated thing, becomes a premise that is too “heavy.”
Undoubtedly, Andor is still very much a part of and integral to Star Wars. However, where it differs from what came before it is that it’s a completely new experience. As best described by Luna, “It’s its own thing.” This is where the Gilroy-envisioned premise succeeds entirely. What’s intriguing though is that show’s flair of originality and newness is something that the fans have wanted for a long time, but it also elaborates on the problem that the franchise is suffering from—concerning specifically its viewership problem.
Clamoring for freshness has given enjoyers of Star Wars exactly what they yearned for, and yet, the dependency on cameos, nostalgia, and fanservice—the ingredients of a perfect recipe for generating buzz and hype—is something that they have yet to discard from their media consumption habits.
Nevertheless, what Diego Luna affirmed to the world stands true. Andor is indeed different and unique from anything Star Wars has done in the recent past.
Diego Luna Is Appreciative Of The Freedom Andor Enjoys
Talking to IndieWire on the red carpet at the Critics Choice Awards, Diego Luna, who embodies the titular protagonist of the show, shed light on what he thinks separates his Disney+ show from the ones that came before it. Furthermore, he elaborated upon the problem that the franchise faces when people group it into one, singular entity.
Following was his statement:
“When people talk about Star Wars as one thing, it’s too heavy. I’m here because Andor is being celebrated, and Andor happens to be a part of the Star Wars family. But it’s its own thing, you know? And that’s one of the reasons Andor has been so celebrated because it’s different. It’s its own. It’s exactly what we wanted to do.”
He also offered his musings on how, despite being an endeavor that’s fundamental to the multimedia franchise, the series (and the creative team behind it) enjoys the freedom to be different from what the essence of Star Wars inherently stands for.
“And it feels great and weird at the same time. Because we are a part of Star Wars, but we are different from anything else that Star Wars brings. And I guess I’m just very lucky to have such freedom in a show that is part of Star Wars.”
Luna’s statements stand corrected, especially when we take into consideration the critical reception that Andor enjoyed. The critics consensus on Rotten Tomatoes sums it up perfectly, “… Andor is an exceptionally mature and political entry into the Star Wars mythos – and one of the best yet.” The reviewers also enjoyed the show particularly for deviating from the previous Star Wars ventures; an element that was extremely well-received amongst audiences.
As best claimed by Variety’s Caroline Framke, Tony Gilroy’s Andor focuses on the lives of people who “have nothing to do with Solos, Skywalkers, or Palpatines but whose lives matter nonetheless.”
The show has simply set the bar for fresh, innovative storytelling too high. It will only be seen through upcoming Star Wars endeavors whether or not such a brilliant premise can be paralleled, let alone surpassed.
Andor is available for streaming on Disney+.
Source: IndieWire
