From Stalin to ‘Andor Jesus’: Tony Gilroy’s Radical Take on Star Wars

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As a cinephile, I’d often find that discussions involving “Star Wars” and “heresy” usually center around in-universe concepts. For instance, claiming that the storyline of Rogue One diminishes the significance of the Force within the saga. However, this time it’s Tony Gilroy, co-writer of Rogue One, who told IndieWire something quite intriguing: “What we need is Star Wars Jesus.

Tony Gilroy calls Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor “Star Wars Jesus”

“What do we need? We need Star Wars Jesus. I need a Messiah.”

(Source: )

— Star Wars Holocron (@sw_holocron) August 24, 2025

Based on Gilroy’s perspective, it seems that Diego Luna’s character Cassian Andor embodies this ideal.

What Gilroy Meant

Fortunately, Gilroy didn’t intend any political or religious messages. Instead, he shared that following the completion of season two of Andor, he found it difficult to conceal Luna’s inherent goodness and depth.

In my perspective, it’s unclear whether he believes the narrative specifically required Jesus, or if he’s suggesting that the entire franchise might be in need of some form of spiritual revival or rejuvenation.

Andor’s Genesis

In a fresh and straightforward rephrasing: Cassian Andor, who debuted in the 2016 film “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” wasn’t reminiscent of Jesus. Instead, he served as an intelligence officer for the Rebel Alliance, uncovering and eventually obtaining the plans for the Death Star. This character was generally well-liked, although he may not have been more or less legendary than any other hero in the “Star Wars” universe. Toward the end of 2017, Bob Iger announced that Diego Luna would reprise his role as Cassian Andor for a prequel series on the upcoming Disney+ streaming platform.

Initially, Gilroy, who contributed to the writing of “Rogue One”, was not part of the prequel’s development. However, Kathleen Kennedy, President of Lucasfilm, shared an early version of the script with Gilroy for his thoughts and suggestions.

As a film enthusiast, I must say that I found it remarkably well crafted. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel confined and suffocated by certain aspects of it, as I shared in an interview with Deadline in 2023. In October of 2019, I was delighted to join the project, taking on the responsibility of writing the pilot and directing several episodes. Subsequently, I stepped up as showrunner and steered the first season of the series towards a impressive 14 Emmy nominations.

However, before the conclusion of season one, Gilroy had spoken about the character of Andor using religious symbolism. He told Digital Spy that if he intended to guide this character through a year-long journey of radicalization and conversion, it would be fascinating to witness a place undergo similar transformation.

Jesus and Cassian Andor have clearly shared a similar space in Gilroy’s imagination from the start…

A Startling Revelation

However, it’s important to note that Jesus wasn’t the sole figure occupying Gilroy’s thoughts. In fact, in a November 2022 interview with Rolling Stone, Gilroy created quite a stir when he drew a comparison not between Andor and Jesus, but instead with an infamous mass murderer.

“If you look at a picture of Young [Joseph] Stalin, isn’t he glamorous? He looks like Diego!”

The life of Stalin influenced a plotline in the first season of Andor, causing some viewers to ponder whether the show’s philosophy aligns with that of Stalin. This leads us to contemplate what director Gilroy intended by referencing these two figures and the thought-provoking parallel he drew between them.

Messiah Complex

Since George Lucas openly admitted that Joseph Campbell’s book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” influenced “Star Wars“, many have spotted Christ-like figures within the story, including satirical news outlet The Babylon Bee joining in on the jest. Characters like Luke Skywalker’s symbolic death and resurrection in the trash compactor, Han Solo’s freezing in carbonite, and Anakin as the Chosen One, all display mythical undertones. However, Alex Garland’s recent comment, referring to Andor as “Star Wars‘s Jesus,” is one of the few instances where someone directly involved in the franchise has acknowledged a connection.

It seems quite plausible that Obi-Wan Kenobi embodies the “Star Wars” equivalent of Jesus, not only in appearance but also in his demeanor and conduct.

Could we also kindly transition to another topic now? While “Andor” is an excellent series, it seems that people are fixated on it and might benefit from exploring fresh content for a change.

— MarthsBars (Fire Emblem and Star Wars sequel fan) (@MarthsBars) August 24, 2025

Online viewers’ response to Gilroy’s comparison hasn’t been favorable, with one user on X stating, “…the constant air of superiority emanating from the Andor team.” Another added, “I believe Obi-Wan Kenobi is THE ‘Star Wars savior,’ not just his appearance, but his demeanor. Furthermore, can we please shift our focus and explore something new for a change? While Andor is exceptional as a series, it seems everyone is fixated on it instead of looking forward to fresh content.

No More Andor

Given that Andor won’t be returning for a third season, we might not get further insights from Gilroy regarding Andor and Jesus moving forward. The comparison of Cassian Andor to mythic heroes, including Jesus, highlights either the impactful narrative of grand-scale storytelling or the growing sentiment of idealization at today’s Lucasfilm.

What do you think? Did Tony Gilroy go too far? Sound off in the comments!

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2025-08-28 15:58