Actor Stellan Skarsgård has appeared in some of the most popular film franchises but is commonly known for his role as Erik Selvig in the MCU. Skarsgård later joined the space opera franchise Star Wars, appearing in the role of Luthen Rael in the critically acclaimed series Andor, which serves as a prequel to the events of 2016’s Rogue One.
During an interview, Skarsgård spoke about joining the galaxy far, far away, explaining why he took on the role despite being 73 years old and the franchise primarily attracting children. Here is what Skarsgård had to say about the reasoning behind his foray into the Star Wars universe and why it is baffling given the actor’s age.
Stellan Skarsgård Reveals the Reasoning Behind Accepting More Mature Star Wars Role
Stellan Skarsgård appears as Luthen Rael in the first season of the Star Wars series Andor. In the series, Rael is a member of the Rebel Alliance who first hires protagonist Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) for a Rebel mission.
During an interview with The Daily Beast, Skarsgård was asked about his role in the series and revealed that he had seen all the Star Wars movies because of his children. However, the actor admitted that he was impressed by the more mature tone of Rogue One, which contributed to him joining its prequel series.
I’m not the most mature person myself, so who doesn’t want to go and fly a spaceship?
Skarsgård made the above comment in response to a question asking whether he accepted the Star Wars role mostly to impress his children.
While Skarsgård admitted that he often did children’s films to impress his kids, joining the galaxy far, far away was primarily motivated by his inner child who marveled at its space opera elements. Hence, Skarsgård’s words strongly hint that the 73-year-old actor is keeping his inner child alive with roles such as his character in Andor.
Stellan Skarsgård Provides an Update on Star Wars: Andor Season 2
During a separate interview, Skarsgård also spoke about the upcoming second season of Andor, while promoting Dune: Part Two. The series was renewed for a second installment in April 2022, with production commencing in November later that year. However, production was affected due to the 2023 Hollywood strikes, delaying the second installment’s release.
It will probably be out towards the end of the year or early next.
Skarsgård made the above statement to GamesRadar+ in February 2024, regarding the potential release window for season two. At the same time, the veteran actor also teased what fans can expect from the final batch of episodes, confirming that the series would end with the second installment.
Skarsgård stated that the new episodes will take Cassian Andor’s story right to the starting moments of Rogue One, directly bridging the two entries in the Star Wars universe. The actor also called the second season more realistic and complicated but reassured fans that it would be as satisfying as the first season.
Andor is streaming on Disney+.
