Andor , a critically beloved prequel to the Star Wars films, stars Diego Luna as the rebel spy Cassian Andor, and recently aired its series finale on Disney+. Not merely more adult in tone and subject matter, Tony Gilroy’s contribution to the franchise brought to Star Wars’ fantasy universe a reality more grounded in history . Rather than epic battles between Force-wielding wizards, this was the story of regular people slowly being radicalized into revolutionaries. Less Flash Gordon , more (many, including Gilroy , drew the comparison ) Battle of Algiers .

Andor ’s stylistic fidelity to a recognizable mode of historical fiction opened many fans’ eyes to Star Wars ’ capacity for more direct relevance to the real world and events currently taking place around the globe. Mo

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