Why won't there be an Andor season 3?

Starting as a thief and mercenary, Cassian comes to be a true revolutionary after he crosses paths with enigmatic spymaster Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgard).

The series also tells the story of other returning Star Wars figures, including Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) and Rogue One villain Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn).

The ending of the series arrives with a gut-punch of three final episodes and a dramatic final twist from showrunner Tony Gilroy.

Despite generating major awards buzz and fan conversation, the show won't be continuing any further than its second outing on Disney+ – here's why there isn't an Andor season 3 to look forward to, according to the creatives behind it.

Why won't there be an Andor season 3?

There won't be a third season of Andor because showrunner Tony Gilroy found that the epic series is simply too large in scope for that to be a feasible idea.

When it was first announced, Andor was planned to run for a total of five seasons, each one chronicling a year in the life of the title character – but time constraints rendered that ambitious vision "physically" impossible.

Creator Gilroy noted that, given the time required, producing five seasons of Andor would be an enormous commitment, and the actors involved would age too much to be at all consistent with 2016's Rogue One.

As the screenwriter put it (via Variety): "Diego would be, like, 65. I'd be in a nursing home... We can't sign on to this forever."

Speaking to SFX, Gilroy elaborated on precisely when the decision was made to reduce the length of Andor, recalling that "we were halfway through shooting season 1 and the monumental size of the show, the effort, and everything else was just dawning on us".

Star Diego Luna had no objection to the decision, telling Variety that it was "important for my mental health" that the finish line remain in sight, amid a packed shooting schedule for the show – and only a short break between seasons 1 and 2.

To ensure that Andor and Rogue One feel like a complete package when watched together, Gilroy abbreviated his original story, shifting it forward by one year per three episodes in season 2.

Thus, the title character moves briskly to his ultimate fate in the blockbuster film where he originated, which itself leads directly into Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

As for whether Gilroy could tell more stories in the Star Wars universe? Unfortunately, it's looking unlikely at the moment.

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Gilroy said: "It's been 10 years now from Rogue One through to this, so I think maybe I'd like to go back and direct a movie of my own."

What should you watch after Andor?

Of course, you should probably just rewatch Rogue One: A Star Wars Story if you haven't seen it already. It continues on directly from the events of Andor and focuses on the Rebel efforts to find a way to stop the deadly superweapon, the Death Star.

The film also completes the story arc of Cassian Andor, along with other Andor figures, including Rusecott Melshi (Duncan Pow), K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), and Director Orson Krennic. There are also appearances from Rebel politicians Mon Mothma and Bail Organa, too.

However, don't expect to see the likes of Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona), Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay) and Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau) in Rogue One as they made their debuts in Andor.

Finally, if you haven't already watched Ahsoka, you can also see further appearances from Mon Mothma as the Chancellor of the New Republic.

Andor is available to stream on Disney+.

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