Star Wars Andor Season 2 Bringing Back Fan-Favorite Villain

Earlier this year, Ben Mendelsohn all but denied he’d be returning as his iconic villain in Andor Season 2. In response to speculation about his return, he said, “As for being contacted by Lucasfilm for a new project, I can tell you that no, I have not been approached for something like this.” With the show already in production, many took that quote to mean Mendelsohn wouldn’t be making an appearance. 

However, a recent interview with one of the directors working on Andor Season 2 conflicts with Mendelsohn’s statement and implies the return of Rogue One’s villain. When discussing his experience directing the show, Alonso Ruizpalacios mentioned some of the actors he enjoyed working with and included Ben Mendelsohn’s name alongside Forest Whitaker and Stellan Skarsgård. Mendelsohn could technically be playing a different character, but it’s almost certain that Director Krenick will make an appearance. 

Andor is a Disney+ prequel to Rogue One, following the Rebel spy Cassian Andor. The first season followed his transition from a thief to a revolutionary, ending with Cassian joining the rebel alliance. Season 2 will follow his years as part of the rebellion and lead into the events of Rogue One, which is why that movie’s villain will be making an appearance. 

Krenick’s popularity is largely due to how different he is from the typical Star Wars antagonists. As a non-sith imperial officer, he represents a more grounded version of the threat The Galactic Empire poses. Hopefully, Andor Season 2 will flesh the villain out even more and continue to explore why regular people are drawn to The Empire. 

Ben Mendelsohn’s villain isn’t the only Rogue One character expected to appear in Andor Season 2. The comments from Alonso Ruizpalacios confirm Forest Whitaker will be returning as rebel leader Saw Gerera, and Alan Tudyk is likely to return as the voice of the droid K-2 as he did in the first season. While Mendelsohn’s return has been spoiled, appearances from Mads Mikkelsen, Donnie Yen, or Jiang Wen could still shock audiences by reprising their roles from Rogue One. 

There is plenty of reason to think Rogue One’s villain won’t be the only character reappearing in Andor Season 2. Diego Luna, who plays Cassian Andor, has stated that the show will end where the movie began and that there will be things for fans of the movie to look forward to. That seems to imply returning characters, particularly ones who didn’t already come back for the show’s first season. 

There was always going to be hype around Andor Season 2, as the first season was considered one of the best Star Wars stories ever. However, the return of Rogue One’s fantastic villain gives audiences yet another reason to look forward to the new season. There isn’t a release date yet, but Andor season 2 is expected to be released in 2025. 

Source: The Playlist