Tony Gilroy Comments on Lucasfilm Cutting Andor’s F-Bomb: “They Were Right”

The upcoming second and final season of Andor, set to return to Disney+ in April, has already earned its reputation as the most mature Star Wars TV show yet. Not just because of its dark themes and mature storytelling, but also because of the strong language it uses.

In Andor, we see a new side of Star Wars. The show has introduced more serious language, with characters using words like “bastards” when referring to the Empire, and even the first known use of the word “shit” in the Star Wars universe. But there was one line that didn’t make it to the screen—Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy originally wrote a much stronger line for the character Maarva, Cassian Andor’s adopted mother.

In one of the show’s most emotional scenes, Maarva delivers a speech meant to inspire a riot, urging the people to “fight the Empire.” However, the original script had Maarva saying something much more intense: “Fuck the Empire.”

Gilroy confirmed the change. He explained that he felt the expletive was necessary for the emotional weight of the scene. “That one word… It was always like, ‘Hey, we’re going to put it in there, it kind of works, and here’s why we think you should do it,'” Gilroy said. He even went as far as writing a detailed memo about why the f-word was the right choice, which he described as “a legal brief.”

Despite Gilroy’s argument, the decision was made to cut the f-bomb. The reason? Lucasfilm didn’t want to introduce a curse word into the franchise, especially one as strong as the f-bomb. In the Star Wars universe, this kind of language had never been used before. Introducing it could raise more questions than it answered.

For example, if characters can say “fuck” in the Star Wars galaxy, why hadn’t we heard it in places like the cantina on Tatooine, famously known as a “hive of scum and villainy“?

Gilroy was quick to clarify that the decision wasn’t a major conflict. “It wasn’t a fight,” he said, referring to his discussions with Lucasfilm. “It was a discussion, the way it should be.” In hindsight, he admitted that Lucasfilm was right in making the change.

“The whole experience with Kathy [Kennedy, Lucasfilm president] and Lucasfilm and Disney, all the way through from Rogue One… I mean, nobody has ever messed with us at all,” Gilroy continued. “The gamble they’ve taken with us, the way they’ve backed our play, it’s extraordinary. It’s the thing every filmmaker dreams about.”

While the f-bomb didn’t make it into Andor, the series is still one of the most mature Star Wars stories, offering deeper insights into the fight against the Empire.

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