Who will we see in Andor?

We are now just over a month away from the premiere of Andor, the upcoming live-action series looking at Cassian Andor before the events of Rogue One. At time of writing we know very little about the movie, with just one teaser trailer having released, some casting confirmed and a quick explanation that this series will focus on both Cassian and Mon Mothma, and be set over the span of about a year, starting 5 years before the events of Rogue One, though I also got the feeling from the trailer that there may be flashbacks, or at least some time spent closer to the formation of the Empire.

And with such little information known, there is a chance for some healthy speculation. So who could appear during the series? Today I’ll be looking at some existing characters who I think could find their way into the show. Of course, there are some like K-2SO who are bound to appear, and others like Melshi, Pao and Bistan who I think would make sense, but I think will not arrive until season 2, as I think this season will focus more on Cassian officially joining the Rebellion.

Now before I start, I want to make clear that this is entirely speculation. I have not had any inside tips, and I probably haven’t even seen all of the confirmed or rumoured castings, so any correct guesses are purely that, not spoilers.

The Organas

We know that Mon Mothma is going to play a crucial role in this series and the trailer has seen her as a part of the Imperial Senate, so it would make sense for Bail Organa to appear there, as they work together to try and help the galaxy. And while I feel pretty confident in Bail making an appearance, how easy would it be for Mothma to make a diplomatic trip to Alderaan and meet the rest of Bail’s family—notably Breha and Leia.

With Jimmy Smits, Simone Kessell and Vivien Lyra Blair all together during the filming of Obi-Wan Kenobi, how easy would it have been for them to also film a couple of scenes for Andor at the same time, though Blair may have looked a little too young to play Leia in her early teens, so perhaps a different actress would be required for her.

General Draven

While more likely for season 2, if we see Cassian spending any time as part of Rebel intelligence in this first series, then it would make sense for Alistair Petrie to return as his commanding officer General Davits Draven. The novelisation certainly suggested that he had been in his role for some time, and it is a simple casting (especially as the series was filmed in the UK) that would immediately connect with Rogue One, while other returning officers like Admiral Raddus and Generals Merrick and Dodonna feel more likely for season 2, when the Rebellion is more formed.

Tivik

Remember Cassian’s informant who he shot dead? What if the series were to add some extra depth to that moment. Cassian certainly seems somewhat haunted by it in the movie—of course, he has just killed an ally in cold blood, but there was no other option as Tivik could not escape due to his injured arm and would surely have been captured and interrogated—but what if the pair were given some backstory together…

Imagine that Cassian works with Tivik in the series, but at one point, Tivik is captured and gives up details far too easy, suddenly flash forward to the movie and Cassian knows that Tivik will give away his information. But imagine also that Tivik’s arm was injured as a result of doing something to rescue Cassian from a dire situation. It’s the arm injury that stops Tivik being able to escape, which is why Cassian kills him, so imagine the guilt if he was the cause of that injury.

Rae Sloane

Expect the show to have an Imperial element, but Tarkin is an expensive risk due to the requirement for CGI, while to me Krennic would feel out of place as he should be focused on the Death Star. Well, this could be the perfect opportunity to bring a recurring character from the wider canon into a series with the use of Rae Sloane. Having been made a captain during the Gorse conflict, she will have spent 6 years building her rank on the way to being Admiral by the time of the battle of Endor.

As a black, female character, it automatically helps to keep the cast diverse, while creating yet another strong female character of colour. And by bringing in Sloane, she could be a character who would interest people, leading them into the wider universe of the Star Wars books, while current book readers can get the jolt of recognition and elation like we did when Cobb Vanth suddenly appeared on our screens.

Mitth’raw’nuruodo

OK, so this one feels like a long shot, but stick with me. For the same reasons as I mentioned for Sloane, see Grand Admiral Thrawn (though he wouldn’t quite be at this rank yet). But more than that, we have it all-but confirmed that he he will be appearing in Ahsoka, as that series appears to be working as a sequel to Rebels that will see them hunting for Ezra Bridger, who disappeared alongside Thrawn, and we have already heard Ahsoka demanding information on Thrawn’s whereabouts from Morgan Elsbeth.

Right now, if Thrawn is discussed, fans of the wider canon or Legends get excited, but those who have stuck to the movies and live-action series can only go off what we tell them. Bringing in Thawn, even for just a couple of episodes, would be the huge news story of the week and immediately give everyone an idea of what to expect in Ahsoka, while the longer seasons for Andor and the fact that the Rebellion’s first major victory is not until the Battle of Scarif, means that Thrawn could come in as a super-dangerous enemy to cause Cassian issues for a couple of episodes and certainly upping the stakes (I imagine his appearance would lead to a high Rebel casualty rate in those episodes).

Who do you think could appear in the show? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading. May the Force be with you….