It’s hard to believe that there are just six episodes of Tony Gilroy’s Andor left, but as we scooch closer to the events of Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, some familiar faces from the galaxy far, far away are sure to stop by. Andor season 2 has already brought back Ben Mendelsohn’s villainous Orson Krennic to expand the Imperial director’s backstory, while Alan Tudyk is confirmed to reprise his role as K-2SO. There are whispers we could see more of Mads Mikkelsen’s Galen Erso, and although the idea of Felicity Jones popping up might be a pipe dream, the fact that Andor is confirmed to collide with the start of Rogue One means anything is possible.
More than just old favorites, Andor has juggled his plenty of newcomers with a starring role for Diego Luna’s titular 'rebel scum”. Standouts like Stellan Skarsgård’s Luthen Rael and Andy Serkis’ Kino Loy feel right at home alongside the old guard of Genevieve O’Reilly and Forest Whitaker, but sadly, it’s not quite the reunion we were hoping for. April 29’s "What a Festive Evening" recast a beloved Star Wars actor, but with it, it shows how the franchise doesn’t have to rely on its legacy actors to move the story forward.
Bail Organa returns to Star Wars
23 years after Jimmy Smits stepped up to play Bail Organa in Attack of the Clones, Princess Leia’s father made a surprise appearance in Andor season 2’s second arc. Bail didn’t physically appear in the original trilogy, although his tragic fate was confirmed when Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing) blew up Alderaan while a helpless Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) watched on in horror. Despite an early exit from the series, George Lucas’ prequel trilogy and subsequent media like The Bad Batch and Obi-Wan Kenobi have given Bail the story he deserves. Smits has become synonymous with him in live-action, and although Phil LaMarr has taken over animated duties, a third actor has stepped up to the plate. When Andor picks up with Bail greeting Mon Mothma at Davo Sculdun’s Coruscant soirée, it’s Law & Order’s Benjamin Bratt playing him.
Bail has proved to be a linchpin of the Rebel Alliance since the fall of the Republic and rise of the Empire. He later went on to take in a baby Leia following the death of Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), becoming even more important as one of the few who knew the big reveal that she and Luke were the twin offspring of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Like O’Reilly got her time to shine when reprising her role as Mon Mothma in Rogue One, Smits was a welcome addition to the 2016 war epic. Even though there are sure to be those who are disappointed that Smits has been swapped out for Bratt, Gilroy explained to Screen Rant why it had to happen.
According to the Andor showrunner, it was a simple case of scheduling conflicts, although it sounds like Bail was always going to be part of the story: “It's really hard to bring legacy characters back for a whole variety of reasons. Money and scheduling and I mean, he [Jimmy Smits] just wasn't available. It didn't work out. He was doing his other show and we were under the gun and they couldn't work it out... They just couldn't work it out. Believe me, we really tried, but it couldn't happen." The interesting caveat here is the mention about how it was hard to pin down some of the legacy actors, further suggesting that other big names from this period of the franchise might not be appearing before the final credits roll. Still, we’ll be disappointed if there’s not at least a cackle from Ian McDiarmid’s Emperor Palpatine.
Importantly, a lack of Smits actually works in Star Wars' favor by showing it doesn’t have to be beholden to bringing back the OGs. As much as we enjoy Mark Hamill’s continued ties to Luke Skywalker, many questioned The Mandalorian season’s clunky de-aging when so many other actors are right there. Alongside fans championing Sebastian Stan to post a young Luke Skywalker, Hamill’s stand-in from The Mandalorian was Max Lloyd-Jones - an actor that could easily pass as him. Solo: A Star Wars Story is far from a perfect outing, but there’s a reason the performances of Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover are praised for their portrayals of young Han and young Lando. Even the world of Andor is no stranger to this controversy, as despite being a near-perfect movie, it was slammed for uncanny valley SFX of the late Peter Cushing and superimposing of Carrie Fisher.
While we understand completing The Rise of Skywalker following Fisher's passing was a struggle, and it was a touching tribute to have her real-life daughter, Billie Lourd, playing her under the effects, Star Wars needs to move away from an over-reliance on its legacy actors. Industrial Light and Magic has always prided itself on its boundary-pushing effects, but whereas the impressive technology of The Mandalorian using ‘The Volume’ is likely to stand the test of time, the Rogue One stand-ins are only looking worse with age. Disney has a mixed bag with this, famously de-aging Robert Downey Jr. for Captain America: Civil War and again for Harrison Ford for the sometimes shaky opening of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
Hopefully, the Smits situation shows that Disney doesn’t have to be constrained by an actor’s schedule. It’s still a shame that Smits didn’t get to play Bail one more time, but who knows what the future holds? Recasting can sometimes be for the best, and where would we be without Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi? While it’s true that Alec Guinness didn’t have much love for Star Wars and passed sweet shortly after The Phantom Menace released, we do worry that if it was done again in 2025, Disney would’ve slapped his face on a stand-in and robbed McGregor of one of his most iconic roles by cashing in on the OG Obi-Wan’d legacy for decades.