Real Reason Why “Andor” Will Not Return for Season 3, Explained
- Season 2 of 'Andor' is the last, wrapping up Cassian’s story.
- The S2 was delayed due to the 2023 strike and will now premiere in 2025.
- The show was originally planned for five seasons but was reduced to two.
Andor has become one of the most praised Star Wars shows on Disney+ for good reason. It’s fresh, it’s bold, and it doesn’t follow the usual Star Wars formula. Gone are the epic space battles and flashy lightsabers, and in comes a raw, political thriller set in the Star Wars universe.
It’s dark, it’s intense, and it focuses on the everyday struggles of the rebel—a side of the galaxy far, far away we don’t usually see. However, the big news is that Andor won’t be returning for a third season. After season 2, that’s it. No more Cassian Andor.
It’s a little sad, especially since Andor has quickly become a fan favorite. But why is the show ending so soon, especially when it’s so loved? You might think the show could go on forever with its fresh take on the Star Wars universe. Well, there’s a reason why Andor’s journey is only getting two seasons, and we’re here to explain it.
Why is Season 2 of Andor the Last?
The main reason Andor is ending after season 2 is because that’s how the show was always planned. Tony Gilroy, who created Andor and co-wrote Rogue One, always intended for the show to end after two seasons (per Space.com).
The story was never meant to stretch out longer than that. In fact, Gilroy said that ending the show after season 2 was a decision he made because it was the right way to tell the story. He was focused on creating a tight, powerful narrative — not dragging things out for the sake of it.
But there’s another reason for ending after season 2. The events in Andor happen right before Rogue One, and season 2 will bring Cassian Andor right up to the point where we meet him in the movie.
So, once season 2 finishes, Cassian’s story is complete. The creators have a clear vision for the character’s journey, and they don’t want to change it. Gilroy told Esquire that ending after season 2 was “a decision born of survival, but it’s been creatively potent… It’s good to know there’s an ending coming.”
The team wanted to make sure they were telling the story in the best way possible — with a beginning, middle, and end. So, while it’s sad that it’s over, we can rest assured that Cassian’s journey will be wrapped up in a satisfying way.
When is Season 2 of Andor Releasing?
Fans were all expecting Andor season 2 to drop sometime in 2024. Many thought it would come out around the same time as season 1, which premiered in September. But unfortunately, the production schedule hit a big snag in 2023.
The SAG-AFTRA strike, which affected a lot of Hollywood productions, meant that filming for Andor had to stop for months. As a result, the release date for season 2 had to be pushed back. Now, the big news: season 2 of Andor will be released on April 22, 2025.
That’s a whole two-year wait from when season 1 came out. Definitely a bummer for fans who were hoping to see Cassian return sooner. But at least we know it’s coming. And while we’re waiting for Andor’s return, there are plenty of other Star Wars projects to keep us busy.
We’ve still got the recently released Skeleton Crew, the rumored The Mandalorian season 4, and Ahsoka season 2 coming out. So, while it’s a long wait for Andor, there’s no shortage of Star Wars content to enjoy in the meantime.
Andor was Originally Planned for 5 Seasons
Here’s an interesting fact: Andor was originally supposed to have five seasons. That’s right — five! When the show was first announced, the plan was to give Cassian Andor a full, sprawling story across multiple seasons. But, as the production progressed, the creators realized that this would be way too much to handle.
Diego Luna, who plays the titular character, and Tony Gilroy both came to the conclusion that five seasons was just not realistic. For one thing, it was going to take years to film all that content.
Plus, Luna couldn’t keep playing a character that was supposed to be younger than the one he plays in Rogue One for that long. As the creator himself told The Rolling Stone:
It’s a massive, massive undertaking, and Diego wouldn’t be able to play a younger man over the next 15 years. We wouldn’t be able to physically do it.
If Andor lasted five seasons, it would have meant a lot of time jumps—and that just wouldn’t have worked. So, after a lot of thinking, Gilroy and Luna agreed to shorten the story. They decided to condense it into just two seasons, which would cover the five years leading up to the events of Rogue One.
They structured season 1 into four three-episode arcs, each representing a different stage of Cassian’s journey. And for season 2, they’re going to keep that same format, with each three-episode block covering one year of Cassian’s life.
This way, all five years of Cassian’s story will be told in a way that feels complete—without dragging things out too long. In the end, while we may have lost three seasons of Andor, we gained a much tighter, more focused story. And sometimes, less really is more.
Star Wars: Andor is available to watch on Disney+!
