From the moment Disney+ launched in 2019, there have been two sections of the Star Wars television universe: the Mandoverse, and everything else. Dave Filoni had already made a name for himself with The Clone Wars and Rebels, but creating The Mandalorian with Jon Favreau sparked a brand new franchise-within-a-franchise that continued with The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka.
From then on, the non-Mandoverse series like Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Acolyte were a bit alienated from the Disney+ brand. Andor, Tony Gilroy’s gritty Rogue One prequel series, made a name for itself not by trying to replicate the Mandoverse formula, but by doing something completely different. But no matter how different the series may seem, there’s no behind-the-scenes drama. The Star Wars universe is full of symbiotic relationships, even if the canon is relatively separate.
In an interview with Empire, Tony Gilroy explained how the Star Wars series that came before him supported his vision. “Their success is what would fuel the whole thing,” he said. “I mean, no Baby Yoda, no Andor. Seriously. Don’t think that we don’t know that.”
Andor is often used as a counterpoint to The Mandalorian because of how different the shows are. The Mandalorian is all about adventure-of-the-week episodes, while Andor is structured into multi-episode arcs. The Mandalorian relies heavily on special effects technologies like The Volume, while Andor is more dedicated to filming on location. Mando’s adventures are family-friendly, while Cassian’s drama is aimed at an adult audience.
But Star Wars has plenty of room for both approaches, and Gilroy made it clear there’s no bad blood between showrunners. “Online, [people] try to drive a wedge all the time between us, and [Jon] Favreau and [Dave] Filoni,” Gilroy said. “It’s horrible what people say; it’s terrible. And the truth is, we don’t have a show without them. They gave us the muscle to go.”
So all those stories pitting the showrunners against each other and debates about who should shape Star Wars’ future can be put to bed. It’s a big galaxy, and there’s room for both nostalgic adventures and gritty crime thrillers. We don’t need a Chosen One; these two tones are like a Force dyad, balancing each other out while being inextricably connected.
