Head writer Tony Gilroy has explained fan-favorite droid K-2SO's absence from the first season of Lucasfilm's upcoming Disney+ original series Andor, which serves as a prequel to the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
During the Andor panel at the Television Critics Association's press tour, attended by CBR, Gilroy explained that it simply didn't make sense for K-2SO (played by Alan Tudyk) to appear in the first season of Andor, which takes place five whole years before the events of Rogue One. However, Gilroy strongly implied that K-2SO would appear in Andor's second and final season, teasing a "spectacular" debut.
"From a storytelling point of view, there are multiple reasons," Gilroy said. "I would say, 'Wait and see.' It's a story we are eager to tell. It's difficult to carry an Imperial droid around with you and not draw all kinds of attention. It's a difficult piece of luggage. When we do it, we'll do it in a spectacular fashion as opposed to presenting it and ignoring it, or presenting it or hiding it, or the bad versions we would have been forced to do."
According to Gilroy, Andor Season 1 will cover one year of the life of Rebel-spy-to-be Cassian Andor, played by Diego Luna, who reprises his role from Rogue One. Andor Season 2, meanwhile, will cover the subsequent four years, leading directly into the events of the 2016 Star Wars anthology film. "Our last scene of the show, our 24th episode, will walk the audience directly into Rogue One and directly into the first scene of Rogue One," he said.
Andor Season 1's Cassian Has a Long Road Ahead of Him
Simply put, the Cassian Andor depicted in Andor Season 1 is at a point in his life where he would neither want to, nor know how to reprogram an Imperial security droid. "We have five years [before the events in Rogue One]. If he knew K2 back then there would be no journey to go through," said Luna. "We're starting him so far away from the person who would know how to -- or be motivated to -- reprogram an Imperial droid," added Gilroy.
Alan Tudyk was originally announced to be reprising his role as K-2SO in Andor. However, the actor himself later walked this back, confirming that he would not be in Season 1, though hinting that his character would pop up in Season 2. "They're shooting it right now, I'm not in it," Tudyk told Collider in January 2021. "But, if it stays on the air, stories keep getting told, I'll end up in there... I'm going to be in the show. It's just that the story that Tony [Gilroy] is telling doesn't involve K-2SO until later on... I can't be too specific, but I can definitely say that I'm not going to be in the first season."
Andor premieres Wednesday, Sept. 21 on Disney+. The Star Wars show's first season will run for a total of 12 episodes. A second and final season has been confirmed.
Source: Television Critics Association, via The Hollywood Reporter