Andor Season 2: Genevieve O'Reilly Teases a Grittier, More Dangerous Season
84Following last year's smash hit Andor, all eyes are on this weekend's Star Wars Celebration for any inkling as to what's next for Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and company when the Rogue One prequel series returns for Season 2. Attendees at the event were given a peek at an exclusive trailer showing Cassian taking on new missions, going undercover, and more all in the name of rebellion. One character not seen in said footage, however, was Mon Mothma played by Genevieve O'Reilly. Collider's own Steve Weintraub took the chance to ask her what's ahead for the character in Season 2.
Mothma is a key player in the larger Star Wars canon, rising to become the leader of the Rebel Alliance in opposition to Emperor Palpatine's horrific actions. O'Reilly first played the character in a scene cut from Revenge of the Sith before eventually reprising the voice role in the animated series Star Wars Rebels and later Rogue One. Andor Season 1 sees her involved in political intrigue as she furthers her opposition to the Empire in secret while still serving as a Senator. Her work puts her at odds with her family who willingly embrace the customs of the Empire, setting up how she'll inevitably have to make more familial sacrifices in order to continue pursuing this rebellion.
When asked where she'll be in Season 2, O'Reilly put an emphasis on that sacrifice while praising series creator Tony Gilroy for how Andor illustrates what's at the heart of every character in the series:
"Well, I think what Tony did brilliantly, and what everybody strived for in Season 1 is, to set off that… You know each of the characters intimately by the end, you know their ideals are, you know what they are passionate about, you know their own personal sacrifices. It really investigates sacrifice with a… what is a collective sacrifice and one’s own personal sacrifice.
And, Mon Mothma’s– we learned in Andor, so beautifully, that Mon Mothma meets the Empire not just… And so, what does she have to sacrifice in order to feel, or to continue, or to… rebellion against aggression.
Andor Season 2 Will Push Mon Mothma Closer to Her Ultimate Sacrifice
Already, Mon Mothma has made incredible concessions to keep her rebellious actions under wraps, but Season 2 could finally see her marriage with the extremely unlikable Perrin Fertha (Alastair Mackenzie) finally crumble. Asked if we can expect a divorce at some point, O'Reilly admitted she was all too eager for everyone to see how it all plays out. "I mean, you’ll have to see how it evolves," she said. "I think that what we do know is that in Rogue One, [where she is then], so we know there’s a ways to go. We’re right in the middle of it. I’m so excited, I can’t wait."
One thing we also know about Season 2 is that it will take viewers to Yavin 4, a key location in the early, darker days of the rebellion and beyond as the Rebel Alliance eventually gained ground in the fight against the Empire. Gilroy previously told Collider that Andor will build on the history of the pivotal planet on-screen while further linking up with Rogue One. There's been a focus on bringing in more Star Wars pros into the writers' room for the occasion too, as Tom Bissell joins returning scribes Dan Gilroy and Beau Willimon. O'Reilly, for her part, teased how Yavin will be handled in the series, adding, "It’s happening, and it’s grittier, it’s more passionate, it’s more dangerous, it’s more emotional. The emotional weight of Season 2 is one thing I’m so excited for you to see."
O'Reilly, Mackenzie, and Luna will be part of the returning cast of Andor Season 2 including Stellan Skarsgård, Kyle Soller, Denise Gough, Faye Marsay, Varada Sethu, Elizabeth Dulau, James McArdle, and Muhannad Bhaier. New episodes are far, far away, arriving on Disney+ in August 2024.
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