Dave Filoni’s promotion to co-president of Lucasfilm marks one of the most significant leadership shifts at the studio in years. Long viewed as a steward of Star Wars animation and Disney+ expansion, Filoni now holds broad creative authority over the franchise’s future.
The timing of the announcement has reopened a sensitive debate among fans, centered not on what Filoni plans to make next, but on what kind of Star Wars he values — and what that may mean for projects like Andor.
A Franchise Still Searching for Its Footing
The Disney+ era has been productive but uneven. The Mandalorian launched the streaming strategy with near-universal praise, yet later series struggled to maintain the same critical or cultural impact.
The Acolyte was canceled after a single season. Obi-Wan Kenobi, despite returning Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, divided audiences. The result has been a sense that the franchise is still recalibrating.
That context made Andor feel different almost immediately.
Created by Tony Gilroy, the series functioned as a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, following Cassian Andor, played by Diego Luna, before his entry into the Rebel Alliance.
The show stripped away Jedi mythology and legacy iconography, replacing it with political tension, espionage, and methodical pacing. Rebellion was not romanticized. It was bureaucratic, dangerous, and morally compromised.
Critics and viewers responded strongly to that approach. Andor was praised for its restraint and its focus on power, surveillance, and resistance rather than lore expansion. For many, it represented a creative direction Star Wars had rarely explored.
The Report That Changed the Conversation
That reputation has fueled the reaction to a recent report from The Wrap, which stated that Filoni “disliked” Andor, citing an unnamed individual who worked inside Lucasfilm.
“The series, a stark spy thriller about how tyranny takes root, is unquestionably the greatest creative triumph of the [Kathleen] Kennedy era,” the publication wrote. “It was also, according to an individual who worked inside Lucasfilm, a series that Filoni disliked.”
I’m not surprised dave filoni could never write something as strong and as powerful as Andor.
I'm not surprised dave filoni could never write something as strong and as powerful as Andor. https://t.co/4cwf1opIdx
— Thomas Thorburn (@ThomasThorbur11) January 16, 2026
The claim circulated quickly, prompting concern that Andor’s grounded tone could become an outlier rather than a template.
On X, formerly Twitter, one user asked whether the franchise’s strongest recent project would now be sidelined. Others framed the report as confirmation that adult-focused storytelling may not align with future priorities.
Lucasfilm has not commented on the report, and Filoni has not publicly addressed the claim.
What Comes Next for ‘Star Wars’
Regardless of internal opinion, Andor was never intended to run beyond its current scope. Gilroy has said the show was condensed into two seasons due to production demands.
“We work two years and a half for each season of this show,” Luna told The Hollywood Reporter. “Imagine five seasons. It’s impossible.”
With Andor ending and Ahsoka returning for a second season, the upcoming Star Wars project slate leans heavily toward theatrical releases. The Mandalorian & Grogu will transition the Disney+ characters to film, followed by Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter.
Additional projects remain in development, including a Rey-focused film from Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and a long-gestating origin story from James Mangold. Several others remain unconfirmed or stalled.
Filoni’s promotion offers the promise of clearer direction after years of shifting plans. For some fans, however, the renewed scrutiny over Andor underscores a lingering fear — that one of Star Wars’ boldest experiments may not shape what comes next.
Are you a fan of Andor?
