Lucasfilm is once again playing cleanup duty — and this time, the spotlight is squarely on Dave Filoni, Andor, and long-simmering rumors that the series succeeded in spite of the studio’s internal creative hierarchy rather than because of it.
Following a recent report from The Wrap that revived claims Filoni was never particularly fond of Andor, Lucasfilm insiders and friendly coverage have suddenly emphasized Filoni’s past public praise of the series. The timing is difficult to ignore — and to many observers, it looks less like genuine clarification and more like damage control.
The Rumor That Won’t Die: Filoni Hates Andor
Industry chatter has suggested for some time now that Andor was an outlier within Lucasfilm. Unlike most modern Star Wars projects, the series was reportedly shepherded by creator Tony Gilroy with minimal interference from the studio’s usual creative gatekeepers (like Filoni).
Mon Mothma in Andor – YouTube, Star Wars
READ: Rian Johnson Publicly Contradicts Kathleen Kennedy Claim That He Was “Spooked” by Star Wars Fans
According to persistent rumors, Gilroy sidestepped Filoni creatively, working more directly with then-president Kathleen Kennedy to protect the show’s grounded tone, adult sensibilities, and politically charged storytelling. He also rewrote a key scene involving Mon Mothma that was recreated in Andor from the Dave Filoni animated series Rebels.
The implication was clear: Andor didn’t fit the Filoni-driven, lore-heavy, nostalgia-forward approach that has come to dominate Disney-era Star Wars.
Cassian Andor in the trailer for Andor Season 1 – YouTube, Star Wars
And if those rumors are even partially true, they explain a lot.
Andor stood apart — critically acclaimed, tonally distinct, and largely disconnected from the franchise’s creative machine. It felt authored. Purposeful. Almost… immune to the broader Lucasfilm content strategy.
Filoni’s Praise — Conveniently Rediscovered
In response to renewed discussion sparked by The Wrap report, attention has turned to Filoni’s past public comments praising Andor. On the surface, that sounds like a clean rebuttal.
During a recent podcast appearance, Filoni spoke favorably about Andor, acknowledging the strength of the series and crediting the creative team for executing it effectively. He also noted that there is a clear audience for this kind of grounded, character-driven Star Wars storytelling.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 23: (L-R) Leslye Headland and Dave Filoni, Chief Creative Officer, Lucasfilm attend the launch event for Lucasfilm’s new Star Wars series The Acolyte at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
But context matters.
Filoni’s remarks — including comments acknowledging the show’s quality and the value of diverse storytelling — are not new. They were made after the series had already earned critical acclaim and fan approval. At the time, praising Andor cost Lucasfilm nothing.
What’s different now is Filoni’s position.
(L-R): Dave Filoni and Rosario Dawson on the set of Lucasfilm’s STAR WARS: AHSOKA, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
READ: Hans Zimmer to Score Warner Bros.’ ‘Harry Potter’ TV Series
With Kennedy’s departure announced and Filoni stepping into the role of President and Chief Creative Officer, the narrative around Andor suddenly carries institutional weight. The idea that Lucasfilm’s new creative leader may have been lukewarm — or outright dismissive — toward the studio’s most critically respected Star Wars series is not a great look.
Especially when much of Filoni’s own recent output like Ahsoka (which he wrote and directed) and The Acolyte (which he consulted on) along with interconnected Disney+ projects has sharply divided the fanbase.
Two Visions of Star Wars
At the heart of this controversy is a philosophical divide.
Andor represents one vision of Star Wars: grounded, politically literate, character-driven, and unconcerned with fan service. It trusted the audience to engage with complexity rather than mythology checklists.
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 07: James Mangold, Dave Filoni, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy onstage during the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images for Disney)
Filoni’s approach represents another: continuity-obsessed, animation-derived storytelling that prioritizes legacy characters, deep lore cuts, and a tightly controlled creative ecosystem.
The rumors that Gilroy needed Kennedy’s direct backing to protect Andor from interference suggest that Lucasfilm itself recognized this tension — and chose to let Andor exist outside the Filoni machine.
If Filoni truly embraced Andor from the start, none of this speculation would exist. The fact that it keeps resurfacing tells its own story.
Why This Feels Like Damage Control
Lucasfilm’s sudden eagerness to remind audiences that Filoni has said nice things about Andor reads less like clarification and more like narrative management.
The studio is entering a transitional phase. Filoni is being positioned as the future of Star Wars. That future cannot afford to look hostile to the one project that proved Disney-era Star Wars could still earn near-universal respect without leaning on nostalgia.
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 08: Dave Filoni attends the Ahsoka panel at Start Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 08, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney)
READ: Netflix CEO Promises 45-Day Theatrical Window for Warner Bros. Movies “I Want to Win the Box Office”
Whether Filoni genuinely dislikes Andor may never be confirmed outright. But the urgency with which Lucasfilm appears to be smoothing over the issue strongly suggests discomfort — not confidence.
And for a franchise already struggling with credibility, perception matters almost as much as truth.
The Bigger Question
The real issue isn’t whether Dave Filoni likes Andor.
It’s whether Star Wars going forward has room for more Andor-style storytelling — or whether that kind of creative freedom walked out the door with Tony Gilroy.
Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) in Lucasfilm’s ANDOR, exclusively on Disney+. ©2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
If this latest round of commentary is meant to reassure fans, it may have done the opposite.
Do you think Dave Filoni hates Andor? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
UP NEXT: Access Media Blames “Review Bombing” as Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Audience Scores Plummet
