Andor showrunner reveals the real reason why Jyn Erso never had a cameo in the Star Wars show

With Andor Season 2 approaching, a familiar question has started bubbling up again: where’s Jyn Erso? Given how tightly the show is tied to the events of Rogue One, many expected at least a glimpse of the fearless rebel leader. But according to Tony Gilroy, bringing her into the story would’ve done more harm than good, and he didn’t want to compromise the show just for a cameo.

From the beginning, Andor has taken a different approach to the Star Wars universe. It strips away the usual spectacle and focuses on the slow burn of rebellion, showing us how ordinary people get pushed to the edge, and then pushed further.

Cassian Andor, played by Diego Luna, isn’t the classic hero. He’s someone learning, the hard way, what it means to fight for something bigger than himself. And this quieter, grittier tone has helped the show carve out its own space in the franchise.

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Who is Jyn Erso, and why does she matter?

If you’ve seen Rogue One, you know Jyn Erso is no minor character. Played by Felicity Jones, she’s the daughter of Galen Erso, the man who secretly built a fatal flaw into the Death Star. Jyn ends up leading the team that steals those plans, paving the way for the Rebel Alliance’s first real victory. Her story is filled with grief, defiance, and hard-won purpose.

She also shares a complicated connection with Cassian, making her absence from Andor all the more noticeable. Other characters from her storyline, like Saw Gerrera and Mon Mothma, have already appeared. So why not Jyn?

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Tony Gilroy’s take: no room for shortcuts

In a recent interview, Gilroy didn’t hold back when explaining his reasoning:

“It would have been really lame. And I mean that in a way of like — really lame. And it would have been really disrespectful to everybody. It would have been a stunt.”

He went on to say:

“There’s no way to do it that doesn’t feel like a reach.”

Gilroy even considered a few other callbacks, like Tivic, the informant from Rogue One’s opening scene, or Jyn’s father, but none of it felt right. His focus was on making Andor feel real, not like a greatest hits playlist of characters we already know.

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Letting Andor stand on its own

One of the most refreshing things about Andor is that it doesn’t rely on nostalgia to keep viewers hooked. It doesn’t drop names or pull out familiar faces just to get a reaction. Instead, it builds tension slowly and earns every emotional beat through careful writing and grounded performances.

Leaving Jyn out gave space for new characters to shine. People like Luthen Rael, Dedra Meero, and Syril Karn have become central to the narrative, complex, flawed, and deeply human. It’s a reminder that the rebellion wasn’t just a handful of legends, it was a movement sparked by thousands of small choices, often made by people we’ve never heard of.

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Why fans are (mostly) on board

Despite some initial curiosity about the lack of Rogue One cameos, many viewers have embraced the decision. Andor has been praised for refusing to take the easy road. It’s more political, more introspective, and far more character-driven than most of what we’ve seen in this galaxy before.

By avoiding the fan service trap, the show has managed to surprise even the most loyal Star Wars fans, not by reinventing the wheel, but by slowing it down and showing what keeps it turning.

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In the end, less really is more

On paper, leaving Jyn Erso out of Andor might seem like a strange call. But when you look at what the show is doing, the tone it’s set, the story it’s telling, it starts to make perfect sense. Her presence would’ve pulled attention away from Cassian’s journey and diluted the buildup to Rogue One.

And when that moment does come, when their paths finally cross again, it’ll hit that much harder. Because Andor didn’t rush to get there. It earned it.