Andor‘s Big Recast Should Be the Star Wars Blueprint

Coming into Andor season two, we learned the surprising fact that one big returning character in the season would no longer be played by their legacy actor. This week, we learned exactly who it was—and at a time when Star Wars has found itself on diverging paths when it comes to opening up classic characters to new actors, it proved exactly why sometimes that is the best opportunity to provide fresh perspectives and interpretations in the galaxy far, far away. We learn, of course, in Andor season two’s second act that that legacy figure is none other than Senator Bail Organa, who, after being played by Jimmy Smits across the prequel movies and most recently Obi-Wan Kenobi, is played here by Benjamin Bratt (voice acting legend Phil LaMarr stepped in for Clone Wars and Rebels, so it’s not like this is the first time we’ve seen someone else take on Bail). Andor creator Tony Gilroy has already gone on the record for the simple reason for the recast—Smits’ schedule didn’t align with produc ... Read full article.