Editorial: Will Disney and Lucasfilm Learn The Right Lessons From Andor?

Andor occupies a puzzling space in nerd culture; those who have seen it rightfully claim that it's one of the best things Star Wars has done in years, if not ever, but the overriding discourse around the series has been about its low viewership numbers, especially when compared to other Star Wars series.



Andor stuck the landing with its final episode,with many in awe of the series' high quality through and through. Its slow-burn pacing and penchant for tense drama rather than high-octane adventure has led many to realize that Star Wars can be many different things, rather than just the swashbuckling action adventure that George Lucas envisioned. It's easy to imagine Lucas approving of The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and The Book of Boba Fett (not to mention the upcoming Ahsoka), but it's more difficult to imagine him ever giving the greenlight for Andor, ostensibly a dark political thriller/drama with a Star Wars skin layered on top.



It's even easier to imagine that this may be one of the many reasons that the Disney execs might attribute to Andor's relative unpopularity, but it would be a mistake to believe that people didn't watch Andor just because it was different. In fact, there are many other reasons why Andor might have had low viewing numbers. The series' dark tone and unsettling scenes mean it is inappropriate for young children, unlike recent Star Wars films and series. That limits its target audience immediately. Alternatively, perhaps audiences just didn't enjoy a slower paced drama set in the Star Wars galaxy.







Another theory is that, unlike characters such as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Boba Fett, Cassian Andor is not a bankable name that greases the wheels of the Star Wars hype train, no matter how many fans loved Rogue One. He's not a Force user, has a grim personality, and needs some serious convincing in order to take the fight to the bad guys. He isn't likely to draw in new Disney Plus subscribers.



Yet, Andor has been an enormous critical success. It boasts tense drama, tight and memorable dialogue, emotional moments, and pulsating action sequences. I have a very strong suspicion that had Andor been an HBO show, everyone would be talking about it in the same vein as House of the Dragon (at the very least, it would have had a stronger marketing campaign, but I digress).



We know Andor is getting a second and final season, but will its low numbers convince Lucasfilm and Disney that they should focus on lighter, more action-oriented shows with recognizable names? Under the numbers-obsessed Bob Chapek, I would have bet that this would be the case, but with Bob Iger returning as Disney CEO, the future is rosier for Star Wars.







While Andor's numbers aren't ideal, the critical success can't be ignored. Iger is a man who has always nurtured creative talent with a belief that quality content helps the brand in the long term, even if the numbers aren't that impressive in the short term. Under his guidance, I am hopeful Disney and Lucasfilm will realize that Andor is proof that Star Wars doesn't have to be just one kind of story. A Star Wars story can be far more varied in tone and suited to different audiences, which offers a far more interesting scope for future stories.



I would welcome more content that shares Andor's grittier and mature tone, but I don't want to see less of the more traditional Star Wars content like The Mandalorian and the mainline films. There's room for all kinds of Star Wars stories, and I hope the people in power realize that. Disney and Lucasfilm shouldn't be humbled by Andor's numbers. They should be inspired by its quality.



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