Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy says a Princess Leia cameo was considered for season 2, but it didn't happen: "It became a distraction"

Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy says a Princess Leia cameo was considered for season 2 – but it ultimately did not come to fruition.

"There were some conversations early on, there was much to be made. This is in the sketching stage," Gilroy told ScreenRant. "This is in the really soggy beginning, trying to figure out what to do because trying to figure out, I was trying to make that Investiture Week I idea. I was trying to get the most out of that investiture week and those parties, and we have Alden's party now… and we're making a thing out of it. And we were trying to find out on the timeline where she would be in the Senate."

Princess Leia appears in Star Wars: Rogue One, played by Ingvild Deila. The late Carrie Fisher's face was superimposed onto hers, and she only utters one word for the entire movie, "Hope," which was a recording taken from you guessed it, Star Wars: A New Hope.

Given that Andor is a prequel to Rogue One, a Leia cameo would've made sense – but as Gilroy points out, it would've been quite the distraction. The series has just ended after two seasons and still ranks as the highest rated Star Wars live-action project as per Rotten Tomatoes with season 2 coming in at 98%, and season 1 falling into second place at 96%.

Continued Gilroy: "There were some nutrients for a scene between her and Mothma that if she was going there at 16 and Mothma had gone to the Senate when she was 16, there was some basic cool things for a scene, but it never got past that, and it never went to the casting stage, or it never got more real than that. I remember talking to Kathy [Kennedy] about it and talking to Pablo [Hidalgo] about it, but it never got traction, and then it became a distraction."

Andor season 2 is streaming now on Disney Plus. For more, check out our Andor season 2 review, or, check out our list of all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows you need to know about.