Following the success of 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” Disney created the prequel series “Andor,” detailing the life of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and his time supporting the growing rebellion against the Empire. The series premiered in 2022, featuring an engrossing story about its lead’s life before joining the rebellion, where his actions directly impacted the Rebel Alliance’s early finances following a successful heist of Imperial credits. It turns out the show’s premise could have been very different had Disney moved forward with “Andor’s” original pitch, which leaned more heavily into the spy angle of Andor’s life.
What the “Andor” fans got was different from Lucasfilm’s original plan, which would have included 60 episodes and five seasons, each covering a year of Andor’s life before “Rogue One.” That’s almost what we got, as the first season covered one year, while the second was broken up into four equal parts, each covering an additional year. Tony Gilroy, the creative mind who gave the world “Andor,” was also the one who completed “Rogue One,” so it makes sense that he’d take on the project, but he wasn’t the first pick. Initially, The House of Mouse tapped Disney Animation’s Jared Bush, who had an entirely different concept in mind.
‘Andor’ Could Have Turned Out Very Differently
GettyBush put together a series bible with a fully fleshed-out plot outline and a pilot script, which has finally been revealed in “The Art of Star Wars: Andor,” published on June 30, 2026. The book offers numerous behind-the-scenes stories and details of “Andor’s” production, acting as a companion to the show. While the book doesn’t outline every detail of Bush’s pilot script and bible, it does offer a glimpse into the “Andor” that he initially conceived. There are several notable differences beyond the overarching narrative, but at its heart, Bush’s plan paid homage to Andor’s role in “Rogue One,” while showing how he came to work for the Rebellion.
Bush’s original pitch, which would have seen the eponymous lead at the center of a Cold War-style spy thriller, was certainly different. In it, the Rebellion suffers a major setback, thanks to an Imperial mole whose actions resulted in the destruction of several rebel bases. Cassian Andor is an intelligence operative and one of the only survivors, driving suspicion that he’s the mole. Left out in the cold with no support and everyone in the galaxy hunting him, Andor’s determination to clear his name and find the one truly responsible sees him infiltrate an Imperial planet.
‘Andor’ Went Through Numerous Changes Before Airing in 2022
It’s not uncommon for a large-scale project like “Andor” to go through some changes as development continues. Initially, Disney tapped Stephen Schiff, the executive producer of “The Americans,” as the EP and showrunner when it announced “Andor” in 2018. That plan changed when Gilroy joined the team in 2020, replacing Schiff. That solidified the show’s creative team, resulting in “Andor” as it’s known today.
Bush isn’t credited in the series’ production, so it doesn’t appear as if Disney used any of the ideas fleshed out in his pilot or bible. Still, given the manner in which “Andor” played out, his work likely inspired some aspect of the series’ production. “Andor” finished its second season in 2025, bringing the character’s narrative story to an end as he and K-2SO (Alan Tudyk) board their ship bound for the planet Kafrene, which is where his story picks up in “Rogue One.” Both seasons of “Andor” are available on Disney+.
