What’s up everywookiee! This morning we got the first official trailer for upcoming DisneyPlus show, Andor, and it looks INCREDIBLE to me. Huge sets, tons of characters, gritty action, count me in.
At the end of the trailer it is also announced that the the premiere is now pushed back to September 21 but will include the first three episodes! So get the kids to bed early, it’s gonna be a long one.
Here’s the trailer if you missed it.
There is a ton to unpack there but there are three characters who I’m particularly excited to see a ton more from.
I’ll be adding more to this post through the day but lets take a look at three characters, Saw Gererra, Mon Mothma, and Benthic aka Two Tubes, and why I am so damn pumped for more of them + some speculation in regards to their first comic appearances.
Plus some characters who I still think may show up in the show at some point.
Star Wars Comic Speculation For Andor Disney+ Series
Star Wars Rogue One A Star Wars Story #1 (eBay)
Like many movie or show adaptation comics the first issue of Rogue One A Star Wars story (eBay) is a juggernaut when it comes to first appearances. This book has the first appearance of Cassian Andor who is the lead in the show… Andor.
Makes sense right? We also get the first appearances of Saw Gerrera who is confirmed to be in the show and K-2S0 who very likely will show up at some point. My personal hot take is that Saw Gerrera and his group, the Partisans, will be one of the key figures in this show.
A few other speculative names that are worth noting but less of a sure thing in this book are Galen Erso & Davits Draven. Galen Erso, father of Jyn Erso from Rogue one who’s first appearance is also in this book, is the man who designed the death star for Director Krennic. I have no clue if he will show up in Andor but he clearly has a history with Saw Gerrera. Close enough of one to trust Saw with watching over his daughter if something happened to him.
Davits Draven is a General in the Rebel Alliance and is a significant player for the rebellion. He’s the one who first tasked Andor with taking out Galen Erso to slow or stall the progress on the Death Star. I personally think it’s likely he also shows up in Andor but nothing is confirmed there.
Star Wars Rogue One Adaptation #2 and Star Wars #38 (2015)
In the Rogue One movies there is a scene where Cassian meets up with on of Saw Gerrera’s informants from the Partisans. That man is named Tivik. Tivik tells Andor that the Death Star is a planet killer. Eventually Storm Troopers show up and Cassian kills a shaken up Tivik for fear he will be interrogated and reveal rebellion cell locations. Seems logical that he could show up in Andor as it seems that he and Cassian knew eachother prior to that meeting. His first appearance is Rogue One A Star Wars Story #2 (eBay).
The other notable first appearance is one of the most underrated side characters in the entire Star Wars Universe… Benthic aka. Two Tubes. Benthic was a member of Enfys Nest’s Cloud Riders and was in the group that confronted Han Solo and Tobias Beckett in the Solo movie. Benthic eventually left the Cloud Riders to join Saw Gerrera’s Partisans, working their way up to 2nd in command. Benthic shows up for the first time for a few panels in Rogue One #2 (eBay)
Some may consider that a cameo appearance so if you want the first comic that features benthic as a main character then you’re going to want to take a look at Star Wars #38 (2015) where he works directly with Luke Skywalker and Leia as the new leader of the Partisans.
There are a ton of potential connections and I would have been surprised if Two Tubes wasn’t in the show. Happy to have been right on this one. You can still get Star Wars #38 at cover on eBay.
Star Wars Return of the Jedi #3
For months now we’ve known that Genevieve O’Reilly has been cast to play Mon Mothma. Leader of the rebellion and a beacon of hope for the galaxy. For years I’ve thought that Mothma was an underutilized character in the Star Wars Galaxy. While she’s appeared in The Return of the Jedi, Rogue One, and the Rebels animated show, she has just an impact as Leia for the rebellion with ha fraction of the screen time.
That is apparently going to change as Andor showrunner, Tony Gilroy, is currently hyping up her involvement in this show. Saying that her backstory is a big part of the Star Wars in 2022, that she will ‘stand out’, and even saying she will ‘break the internet.” Now the last one is the most overused saying in the world but the point is this… Tony Gilroy and Lucasfilm have huge plans for Mon Mothma. Her first comic appearance is the December 1983 Star Wars Return of the Jedi #3 comic.
She shares this first appearance with Admiral Ackbar who needs no introduction. Ackbar is also rumored to show up in the series and is an iconic Star Wars character from the original trilogy. (Ackbar, interestingly enough appeared before this in Goodwin and Williamson’s Newspaper Strip on December 11-12, 1982, but this is not usually favored by collectors as it’s not a traditional comic book format appearance).
Other Potential (Yet Unconfirmed) Appearances For Andor
Bail Organa
Star Wars Tales #11 – Dark Horse
I talked about this book some in my Obi-Wan speculation post but know that while Jimmy Smits is going to portray Bail Organa, Leia’s adopted father, in the Obi-Wan show, he’s also expected to team back up with Mon Mothma in Andor.
Bail and his wife Breha first appear in Star Wars Tales #11 (Ebay).
Star Wars Beckett #1 (eBay)
Star Wars Beckett is my #1 (eBay) sleeper pick for book that will rise in value the most as a result of the Andor series. Why? Because it’s the first appearance of Enfys Nest in a traditional comic. I think this is significant for a few reasons as it relates to Andor.
Here’s my thinking on this. First off Nest and her Cloud Riders were a fan favorites in the Solo movie. A ruthless marauder who turns out to be a young female freedom fighter. The actress, Erin Kellyman, has been vocal about wanting to play the character again and has been employed by Disney for years working on Willow and The Falcon and Winter Soldier.
Also narratively it would make sense. We know that Saw Gerrera has a significant role in this show. He and Enfys Nest are confirmed to know each other. As she gave the coaxium that she acquired with the help of Han Solo and Tobias Beckett to Saw Gerrera and a Young Jyn Erso in the Solo A Star Wars Story Novelization.
So to recap; we have a fan favorite character who is played by a young rising star actress to who interested in reprising her role AND the character has direct tie ins with confirmed characters for the show.
It just makes a ton of sense. Obviously still might not happen but I am betting that it will.
Star Wars Adventures #14 (eBay)
I’m going to be brief here. Since Andor has been described as a spy adventure story it is likely we get the Imperial Service Bureau in the show. At the time when Andor takes place, Agent Kallus would still be loyal to the Empire and the ISB. No clue if he shows up but I think the Andor show actually makes a lot more sense than people who are speculating him showing up in Obi-Wan.
Agent Kallus first appears in Star Wars Adventures #14 (eBay) from the 2017 run.
I could also see Moff Gideon showing up to as a member of the ISB. Giancarlo Esposito was interviewed recently and was asked when to expect The Mandalorian season #3. Giancarlo said late summer. We know that is inaccurate. Leading many to assume that he was actually referencing Andor and got the two mixed up.
Moff Gideon first appeared on the cover of Sprouse 50th Anniversary Variant of Darth Vader 21
Expect Moff Gideon’s first full appearance to be in issue #7 of The Mandalorian comic series.
Smuggler’s Run 1 (IDW 2020)
Denise Gough plays an undisclosed role who wears an imperial officer’s uniform. In the trailer she’s wearing a rank insignia plaque with three blue blocks indicating that she’s a Lieutenant in the Imperial Security Bureau.
It’s my hunch that this is ISB officer, Alecia Beck. We first meet Beck in Greg Rucka’s Smuggler’s Run novel.
In terms of comic appearances, Shara Bey first impersonates ISB Commander Beck in Shattered Empire 4 (October 21, 2015):
UPDATE 8/2/2022: Upon further research, it appears the Smuggler’s Run comic adaptation began a full 2 years earlier in the German Star Wars Universum 1 Magazine from Panini. Good luck finding one:
Then, the Smuggler’s Run novel was adapted to comics in 2020, giving us our first real U.S. comic appearance of Commander Beck in issue 1:
Of course, she’s been through some changes between Andor and Smuggler’s Run. She went from Lieutenant to Commander and obviously lost her eye. Andor takes place approximately 5 BBY and Smuggler’s run is 0 BBY. Incidentally, the two things are related. When Beck was serving as a Lieutenant, she caught a commanding officer selling secrets to the Rebels. She confronted him and he cut her eye out with a laser cutter. Because of her role revealing this Rebel mole and bringing him to justice, she received a promotion and commendation. Of course, Gough could be playing any number of imperial officers, but drawing from the existing population of characters, Beck is my favorite bet.
Stills From The Trailer:
That’s all for now.
I personally think people are sleeping on this series. It’s been in production a long time and we don’t know much about the plot at all.
~Grand Admiral Frik
