Why ‘Andor’ Season 2 Recast Bail Organa: The Surprising Truth Behind the Switch

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This article contains spoilers for Andor Season 2 Episodes 4 through 6.

Fans of Star Wars might have been taken aback when they started watching Season 2 of Andor and discovered that the character of Bail Organa was being portrayed by a different actor. First mentioned in the original Star Wars film from 1977 as Leia Organa’s adoptive father, Bail Organa first appeared on screen in Attack of the Clones in 2002, with Jimmy Smits playing the character. Smits also returned for a more significant role in Revenge of the Sith in 2005, making him one of the main characters as he helps Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda go into exile. Given that Andor serves as a prequel to Rogue One, where Smits appeared as Bail Organa, it was anticipated that he would reprise his role for the second season of the popular Disney+ series. However, many were surprised when Benjamin Bratt took over the role of Bail Organa in Andor instead.

In contrast to his absence from animated series like “Star Wars Rebels” and “Tales of the Jedi,” Jimmy Smits has been featured in live-action sequels, including “Rogue One” and the 2022 Disney+ show “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Given that fans might have just watched him as Bail Organa in the re-released “Revenge of the Sith,” which made $25.2 million this weekend, his absence is especially noticeable. This has led to speculation among fans as to why Smits didn’t reprise his role for “Andor” Season 2, reigniting conversations about character recasting in the “Star Wars” universe.

Why Did ‘Andor’ Recast Bail Organa in the First Place?

At present, there hasn’t been any official explanation provided for why Smits was replaced in the cast of Andor. Although it was confirmed in 2023 that Benjamin Pratt would join the series, Lucasfilm did not reveal that he would portray Bail Organa. In fact, the only hint that this change might be happening was during the initial airing of the episodes, with some reviews suggesting a familiar character was being recast. It seems that keeping the secret about this decision may have contributed to the shock surrounding it, as if they had announced it two years ago, fans would have been more prepared for the change.

One clue fans have regarding Smits’ recasting could be a potential scheduling issue, since Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy hinted at this possibility during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

Bringing back iconic characters can be quite challenging due to their high cost and scheduling conflicts. Often, their schedules don’t align with our production timeline, and there are times when we wish to include certain actors from earlier films in our latest project, but they were unavailable because they were busy with other commitments.

During the filming of Andor Season 2, Smits was appearing in the temporary TV show East New York, airing from October 2, 2022, to May 14, 2023. Filming for Andor Season 2 started in November 2022 and lasted until July 2023, but was halted due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Despite the series resuming production in January 2024, a time when Smits might have been free.

In the remaking of Vanessa Fisk’s scenes for “Daredevil: Born Again,” Ayelet Zurer replaced Sandrine Holt. However, it appeared that director Gilroy was not planning to discard the work done by Bratt in “Andor.” This is significant as it seems Bratt’s character may have a larger role in upcoming episodes of “Andor” as the series approaches the events depicted in “Rogue One.

‘Star Wars’ Complicated History With Recasting Iconic Roles

The recurring issue in the Star Wars franchise that stands out is the practice of recasting characters, which was previously accepted without question. From 1962 to 2022, there were four different actors portraying James Bond within the same continuity, and three distinct Batman actors in less than a decade. However, as audiences have grown accustomed to consistent narratives and continuity across various media platforms such as film and television, they now find it challenging to accept recasting an actor.

In the Star Wars universe, there’s been an intriguing approach to character recasting. Ewan McGregor portrayed a younger Obi-Wan Kenobi, a role previously held by Alec Guinness. The character’s popularity led to McGregor getting his own Disney+ series. Disney and Lucasfilm have shown a willingness to recast roles for younger versions of characters, such as Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover playing Han Solo and Lando Calrissian respectively. However, when it comes to characters involved in the current events from past stories, they appear quite reluctant to make changes.

In my opinion, there’s a debate over the application of digital deep fakes to modify an actor’s age or generate fresh digital performances, as seen by the questionable visual effects on Luke Skywalker in shows like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. The facial expressions appear rigid, and the vocal performance lacks vitality. It’s just as disconcerting as swapping out the role of Luke Skywalker with an actor like Sebastian Stan. While Star Wars doesn’t necessarily need to utilize these characters, the limitations of human actors can spur creativity in developing unique new characters. However, if we must choose between recasting and digital deep fakes, recasting seems like the obvious choice.

In a production that involves real people, recasting roles can sometimes cause a slight shock to fans, but it’s an inevitable aspect of filmmaking. For instance, the change from Jimmy Smits to Stellan Skarsgård as Bail Organa in different Star Wars projects might lead to some amusing moments, but it doesn’t affect the quality of shows like Andor. On the bright side, we now have a gifted actor like Benjamin Bratt joining the Star Wars universe, which is certainly something to celebrate.

Stream Andor on Disney+.

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2025-04-30 04:32