Andor creator Tony Gilroy disclosed which character from the show he would have used in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story if he had developed the project from scratch. Notably, Andor serves as a prequel to Rogue One, which came out in 2016. Gilroy boarded the cinematic project late in production, penned additional scenes, and worked as the second-unit director under director Gareth Edwards.
Tony Gilroy wishes Andor’s Vel were in Rogue
One: A Star Wars Story
Gilroy revealed in a recent interview, published in the new issue of the Empire magazine, that he would have loved to have Faye Marsay’s Vel Sartha in Rogue One. “I’d want Vel there for sure,” he stated, before proceeding to speculate on the potential dynamic between Vel and Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso, the protagonist of the movie. “My God, think of Vel’s take on Jyn Erso! I’m sure she’d have some very choice things to say about her,” he said, adding, “Jyn would light up all of Vel’s irritation.” (via ComicBook)
Star Wars prequel trilogy visual effects supervisor John Knoll initially pitched Rogue One as a Star Wars: Underworld episode in the early 2000s. The show was never produced, but Knoll pitched the project one more time after Disney acquired Lucasfilm. Gary Whitta (The Book of Eli) initially joined the project as scriptwriter. However, he left, and Chris Weitz (About a Boy) was eventually brought in to work on the script. Initially, Edwards envisioned an ending for the movie in which the main characters survived. However, the producers ultimately chose to give the film its current darker but hopeful ending.
In 2016, Gilroy joined the production, which then underwent reshoots. He also had a significant role to play in the filming of the current ending of the movie and the post-production, even though Edwards remained attached to the project.
Notably, Andor aired for two seasons on Disney+ between September 21, 2022, and May 13, 2025. In Andor, Vel is part of the resistance against the Galactic Empire and a cousin of Genevieve O’Reilly’s Mon Mothma.