Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Andor season 2!Bix's baby. Many were waiting to see whether Princess Leia would also make an appearance, especially after her adoptive father, Bail Organa, appeared in the show's penultimate three-episode arc, but she remained absent in the end.
Speaking exclusively with ScreenRant's Ash Crossan, Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy explained that, although he initially considered a Princess Leia Organa cameo in Andor season 2, those plans ultimately changed. According to Gilroy:
"There were some conversations early on, there was much to be made. This is in the sketching stage. This is in the really soggy beginning, trying to figure out what to do because trying to figure out, I was trying to make that Investiture Week I idea. I was trying to get the most out of that investiture week and those parties, and we have Alden's party now… and we're making a thing out of it. And we were trying to find out on the timeline where she would be in the Senate.
There were some nutrients for a scene between her and Mothma that if she was going there at 16 and Mothma had gone to the Senate when she was 16, there was some basic cool things for a scene, but it never got past that, and it never went to the casting stage, or it never got more real than that. I talking to Kathy [Kennedy] about it and talking to Pablo [Hidalgo] about it, but it never got traction, and then it became a distraction."
While it would have been exciting to see such an iconic character return to Star Wars once more, Gilroy is ultimately right that the appearance of a heavy-hitter like Leia would have distracted (and even detracted) from what Andor set out to accomplish.
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This just confirms that Tony Gilroy was entirely right to opt out of including a Leia cameo in Andor season 2. Leia is one of Star Wars' best characters, and that's never going to change, but this just wasn't the right story for her. In the end, Andor season 2 remained focused on the primarily unsung heroes of the Rebellion, and that's exactly what it should have done.
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We Still Want To See That Mon Mothma & Leia Story
Andor Wasn't The Right Project, But This Story Should Still Be Told
Although Gilroy's instincts that Leia wasn't right for Andor season 2 were correct, we still want to see this story between Mon Mothma and Princess Leia. Thus far, Star Wars hasn't really depicted Leia's time in the Imperial Senate on screen, yet that's such an important story not only for her character but also for the Rebellion. The closest we've come so far is Leia's brief appearance in Star Wars Rebels, but there's so much more that can be done (and that wasn't focused on her work in the Senate).
It's also notable that Gilroy mentioned they never even got to the casting stage, which raises an interesting point. It seems likely that Disney and Lucasfilm may be a bit hesitant to recast Leia—although that's not been confirmed—because she is such a beloved character, and tensions around that decision will no doubt run high within the fanbase. Hopefully, Star Wars will eventually introduce not only a new actress for Leia but also this story that got scrapped. Either way, I'm grateful that Tony Gilroy knew a Princess Leia Organa cameo wasn't right for Andor season 2.
All episodes of Andor season 2 are now streaming on Disney+.
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