Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Andor season 2, episode 6.Tony Gilroy, the creative mind behindAndor, has revealed his full intent behind the decision to recast Bail Organa in season 2, particularly given the brevity of the character’s appearance. Bail Organa has been portrayed by Jimmy Smits ever since theStar Warsprequel trilogy, with the actor returning in both 2016’sRogue One: A Star Wars Storyand 2022’sObi-Wan Kenobiseries. Benjamin Bratt, however, plays the Alderaanian senator inAndorseason 2.Gilroy has since explained this recast toScreen Rant, citing scheduling issues - but there’s more to it.
Gilroy has explained the decision in further depth withEntertainment Weekly, particularly the role Bail’s brief appearance in episode 6 “What a Festive Evening” plays. TheAndorshowrunner insists thatthe purpose behind Senator Organa’s small cameo in this episode is “an arbitrary way so people will get the conversation out of the way until the next week when he really starts to work.“Gilroy clearly knows his audience, or at least knew they would face some backlash for this decision.
Tony Gilroy: I put him in episode 6 in an arbitrary way so people will get the conversation out of the way until the next week when he really starts to work.
Gilroy goes on to explain that he wanted “to do something simple,” which is something theAndorteam doesn’t do often. As the showrunner explains, this team isn’t one to throw in unnecessary cameos, as evidenced byAndorseason 1, but in this case,“it’s like, ‘Let’s get him in here now so people can discuss it for a week and get it out of their system and then he can come back to really work.’“Gilroy has a strong point here; the recast discussion will be over when it’s truly Bail’s time to shine.
Tony Gilroy: It’s one of those situations where I want to do something simple. We don’t do many things that are unnecessary, but it’s like, ‘Let’s get him in here now so people can discuss it for a week and get it out of their system and then he can come back to really work.’ I didn’t want the guy’s work to be confused with his introduction.
What Andor’s Bail Organa Recast Really Means For Star Wars
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While this recast decision has proven to be just as controversial as manyStar Warsfans, and simple observers, would expect,it’s ultimately the right decision for the franchise. Recasting isn’t anything new, and oftentimes, it’s necessary. While thisAndorrecast may be vastly different toStar Wars’other recent recast, withRory McCann taking over the role of Baylan Skoll inAhsokaseason 2due to Ray Stevenson’s tragic passing in 2023, both are a step in the right direction.
This Recast Is A Step In The Right Direction For The Franchise
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The decision to place Bratt in the role of Bail Organa is such a crucially important decision forStar Warsas a whole, becauseit sets an important precedent. We’ve seen firsthand how the refusal to recast other legacy characters, such as Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, has caused those characters in projects likeThe MandalorianandThe Book of Boba Fettto come across as stale, due to the limitations of the technology used to bring the original actors' portrayals back to life.
There was no doubt plenty of hard work put into those digital recreations, butthey don’t compare at all to what a true human mind, body, and soul can do for a character, even if it’s not the original actor in the role. It’s also a relief that Bail Organa wasn’t written out completely due to a fear of recasting; he deserves a place in thisRebel Allianceorigin story. While thisAndorrecast may remain controversial, I personally think that it was the best course of action for the franchise in this particular situation.
Andorseason 2 releases new episodes Tuesdays at 9 PM ET on Disney+.
Andorseason 2, episodes 4-6
Andorseason 2, episodes 7-9
Andorseason 2, episodes 10-12
