Tony Gilroy, the showrunner ofAndor, has addressed why season 2 of the show has recast an iconicStar Warscharacter like Bail Organa. Given thatAndorseason 2’s storyoutlines the years leading up toRogue One, many expected Bail Organa to play a role in the project. Moreover,Andorsheds light on the origins ofStar Wars' Rebel Alliance, something that Bail has been working towards since the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. InAndorseason 2, though, Bail Organa’s appearance takes on a slightly different form due to a recast.
Speaking exclusively toScreen Rant,Andorshowrunner Tony Gilroy was asked about the recast of Bail Organa. In the show, regular Bail actor Jimmy Smits was replaced by Benjamin Bratt, with Gilroy explaining why exactly this change was made. Gilroy stated:
“It’s really hard to bring legacy characters back for a whole variety of reasons. Money and scheduling and I mean,he [Jimmy Smits] just wasn’t available. It didn’t work out. He was doing his other show and we were under the gun and they couldn’t work it out… They just couldn’t work it out. Believe me, we really tried, but it couldn’t happen.”
The absence of Smits will undoubtedly be the biggest question asked byAndorviewers after seeing Benjamin Bratt in the role. For those viewers, it will naturally be a comfort that Gilroy and his crew at least tried to get the actor to return. When concerning Bratt’s performance, though, Gilroy had this to say:“It was wonderful to have Benjamin to work with. He’s such a beautiful actor, got this stature and this kind of gravitas…“Gilroy goes on to mention how keen Bratt was to portray a character as iconic as Bail Organa, solidifying him as a solid choice to replace Smits inAndorseason 2.
A Tangible Actor Was Chosen Instead
What makesAndorseason 2’s castmore interesting, especially where Bail Organa is concerned, is that it does not contain any CGI deepfake characters. Under Disney’s leadership, this kind of technology has become more and more common in a galaxy far, far away. Even Gilroy himself has some experience with this afterRogue One: A Star Wars Storyas one of the film’s writers and the director of several reshoots. This film included CGI recreations of the late Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher as iconicStar Warscharacters Wilhuff Tarkin and Leia Organa, respectively.
This continued inThe MandalorianandThe Book of Boba Fett. TheseStar WarsTV showsincluded the character of Luke Skywalker in the New Republic era, leading to similar technology being used as a means of de-aging Mark Hamill.This has led to endless debates about whetherStar Warsshould lean more towards recasting major characters as opposed to recreating them with visual effects, something thatAndorseason 2 is apparently taking on board with its recasting of Bail Organa.
Our Take On Star Wars' Recast
Benjamin Bratt Does A Fine Job Bringing Bail To Life
WithAndor’s Bail role placing the show firmly on the side of recasting rather than CGI recreations, it is worth noting that I think it made the right choice. Benjamin Bratt does well in his role as Bail Organa, bringing the right amount of warmth, humor, and subtle rebellion that the character is known for to the role. Although Bratt does not have a huge part to play inAndorseason 2, Bail’s inclusion in the story was vital, and the recast proves that even some ofStar Wars' most recognizable characters can be just as compelling with other actors in the role.
Andorseason 2, episodes 4-6
Andorseason 2, episodes 7-9
Andorseason 2, episodes 10-12
