Warning! This article contains spoilers for Andor season 2.

Andor season 2’s provocative recasting has created the potential for a spinoff show centered on one of Star Wars’ original heroes: Leia Organa. It’s clear by now that Andor is unlike any Star Wars show that has come before. Not only is it a more mature, in-depth, and frankly scathing criticism of fascism and the oppression that it breeds, but it is also an experiment of sorts, a showcase of how much more Star Wars can and arguably should be.

Andor season 2 features Benjamin Bratt as Bail Organa, as Smits’ schedule was too crowded to include Andor. By taking the risk and recasting the character, even if only temporarily, Andor has created a whole new opportunity for Star Wars’ future storytelling.

Andor Season 2 Is A Launchpad For Other Stories

Andor season 2’s episodic structure was another risky endeavor, but it’s a risk that has wholeheartedly paid off. Like the first season, Andor season 2 is separated into four narrative arcs, each crafted over three episodes. Whereas season 1 was a more chronological tale, all set in the same year (5BBY, or five years before the Battle of Yavin in the original Star Wars movie), every arc of Andor season 2 skips ahead one year, with next week’s final arc taking place in 1BBY, the same year as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

These time skips have allowed the show to explore the building tension of the Empire’s invasion of Ghorman and how long it can take for tension to boil over into horrific violence. It has also created nearly limitless opportunities for new Star Wars stories. What happened between the episodes? As showrunner Tony Gilroy explained before Andor season 2 premiered, Andor’s success proves that Star Wars is versatile enough to move beyond the franchise’s standard genre stories. Why not do more political thrillers in various formats? Star Wars can be anything.

Andor has carefully crafted the journeys of Cassian Andor, Luthen Rael, and Mon Mothma. But what about Bail Organa? What was Bail doing in the Senate and behind the scenes before and between 5BBY and 1BBY? We know snippets from other Star Wars stories, of course – for instance, we know that Bail Organa recruited former Jedi Ahsoka Tano into the Rebellion at one point – but what about his work on Alderaan? What about Princess Leia’s future?

Andor Has Shown How Powerful Star Wars' Political Dramas Can Really Be

Star Wars has always been political. Despite being created from a family-friendly perspective, the very idea of a grassroots rebellion fighting against an industrialized, dictatorial regime is inherently political. George Lucas always intended it that way – Andor has just pushed the envelope a bit further, moving away from the Skywalker saga’s fairy tale, space opera structure and morphing into a proper political drama and spy thriller.

Bail Organa is just as much a part of the early Rebel Alliance as Mon Mothma, and I would love to see his story approached with the same gravity and respect.

Mon Mothma’s political dealings in the Senate, the fight to remain hidden while being such a public figure, is one of the most compelling and rewarding parts of Andor. Bail is just as much a part of the early Rebel Alliance as Mon, though, and I would love to see his story approached with the same gravity and respect. It would also be interesting to see how their political lives have affected their personal lives in drastically different ways.

Mon essentially sacrificed her daughter as a child bride for the sake of the Rebellion, and her closest childhood friend was killed when he became too much of a liability to her cause. Bail’s adoptive daughter, on the other hand, followed in her father’s (and Mon Mothma’s) footsteps, becoming an integral player in the Rebellion and the galaxy’s political future. What better time is there to explore Leia’s political ascension than now? Andor has set the stage perfectly.

The Recast Bail Organa Means We Can See An Alderaan Show

Jimmy Smits is and always will be Bail Organa, and his performance has been a great addition to the franchise. He’s a busy man, though, and Star Wars’ proclivity for CGI-enhanced performances and de-aging technology can only take the franchise so far. Now that Andor has taken the leap and dared to recast an important legacy character rather than taking The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett’s Luke Skywalker approach, Bail Organa’s potential as a character has never been more apparent.

Alderaan has been part of Star Wars’ narrative legacy since the first Star Wars movie. The annihilation of Bail’s and Leia’s homeworld kickstarted the Rebellion’s major push against the Empire, which led directly to the Battle of Yavin and the destruction of the first Death Star. Yet, despite its importance to Star Wars’ storytelling, Alderaan has rarely been the focus of Star Wars’ on-screen narratives, except for a few brief glimpses in Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Alderaan is a Core World. It’s a powerful, rich world, and Bail is a respected Senator. The planet has been mentioned in many Star Wars stories, but it’s never been featured properly. What are its customs? Who are the planet’s political allies? What resources might the Empire covet? By including Benjamin Bratt in Star Wars, there’s much more room to create a story revolving around Bail Organa, his wife, Breha, a teenage Leia, and the planet they lead together.

We Already Have The Perfect Cast For A Princess Leia Spinoff

If Lucasfilm wanted to make this happen, they could. They already have the perfect cast for an Alderaan-focused, Princess Leia TV spinoff. Benjamin Bratt or Jimmy Smits could play Bail Organa. Simone Kessell could return as Breha Organa. she was one of Princess Leia’s most influential mentors.

As Leia’s political influence becomes more important in Star Wars’ current New Republic era, it’s only logical that we should get to see its origins as well.

While the hypothetical show could use Claudia Gray’s novel, Star Wars: Leia, Princess of Alderaan, as a narrative blueprint – it follows Leia’s first steps into the Rebellion, with Mon Mothma’s and her father’s guidance – there are so many other stories it could tell, too. As Leia’s political influence becomes more important in Star Wars’ current New Republic era, it’s only logical that we should get to see its origins as well. Andor season 2 has paved the way for a new Princess Leia and Bail Organa story, but it remains to be seen whether Star Wars will follow through.

Andor's series finale premieres Tuesday, May 13 at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST exclusively on Disney+.