Acclaimed Star Wars series Andor, currently airing its second and final season, fills in events between the prequel trilogy and Rogue One – and therefore sees the return of a number of prominent characters from the franchise's history.
Ad
From the title character played by Diego Luna to Genevieve O'Reilly's Mon Mothma and Ben Mendelsohn's Orson Krennic, the show features some real big hitters, but one who has yet to appear, and it now seems never will, is one of the most iconic villains of all time – Darth Vader.
Vader most recently appeared in live action in the Disney Plus show Obi-Wan Kenobi, and given the time period he could well have shown up in Andor. The show's creator Tony Gilroy has now explained why he never does.
When Rolling Stone asked whether including Vader was something he thought about, he said: "No, that was never on my agenda. Writing for Darth Vader is really limiting. I’ve done it. He doesn’t have a lot to say."
Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Disney+
Gilroy was one of the writers on Rogue One, which featured Darth Vader in a supporting role. This included a fan-favourite scene which sees Vader making his way through a ship's hallway, killing troops as he goes.
Meanwhile, Gilroy also explained why Emperor Palpatine never makes an appearance, saying: "He was too big a piece of meat for me to introduce. It was too heavy a lift. I thought about it at one point, but it was too heavy a lift."
Speaking with RadioTimes.com, Gilroy recently revealed that there were "thousands" of ideas that never made the cut, saying some were left out because "they were indulgent or extravagant or silly", while others were changed "because we couldn't afford to pay for them, or problems came up".
"You’re always shifting," he explained. "I mean, [there's] nothing specific that I would say, 'Oh God, we missed this thing.' I'm very pleased where we ended up."
The first three episodes of Andor are now available to stream, with three more set to arrive each week on a Wednesday until all 12 have been released.
There is set to be a one-year time jump between each of the episode batches, with the final batch taking the series right up towards the start of Rogue One - and Cassian Andor's tragic, yet noble end.
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
