Andor showrunner, Tony Gilroy, confirms that Maarva Andor’s death in the Andor season finale is not a hoax, after a popular fan theory suggests she is alive.
The latest Star Wars original series on Disney+ serves as a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and follows Cassian Andor on his path to join the Rebellion. Acclaimed as the “grittiest” Star Wars series till late, Andor has been quick to receive support from fans and critics alike.
After the much-awaited season 1 finale aired yesterday, fan theories about the episode and the upcoming season have been doing the rounds on the internet. One popular fan theory suggests that Maarva Andor’s death in the finale is actually a hoax.
In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Tony Gilroy debunks the fan theory about Maarva Andor’s death being a hoax.
Cassian’s adoptive mother, Maarva falls sick in the penultimate episode of the show. Her eventual death makes Cassian Andor return to Ferrix to attend her funeral. While nothing explicitly suggests that Maarva’s death was a hoax, some fans suggest that she faked her death to enable Cassian to take her away from the oppression in Ferrix.
Though Gilroy appreciates the fan theory, he debunks it immediately and confirms “that’s not what they’re doing.” Check out what he said below –
Oh, I know. I saw that theory. I love that theory. I saw somebody with a theory, “Oh my God, she’s not dead. They’re sneaking her out of there. It’s Cassian’s way of getting her free and they think she’s dead.” And I was like, “Wow, that’s a viable idea,” but that’s not what we’re doing.
Now that Gilroy has confirmed that Maarva’s death is final, it is clear that her death will have major consequences in season 2. Maarva was loved and respected in her community, so her death shocks the people in Ferrix in the finale.
Maarva’s death becomes even more significant because of her last recorded message. In her last pre-recorded message, Maarva takes a stand against the Empire and urges the people of Ferrix to rebel against the authoritarian regime. Maarva’s message incites a major riot and leaves a huge impact on Cassian as well.
Andor season 2 will see Cassian Andor preparing himself to be a leader and lead the Rebellion against the Empire. Maarva’s death helps Cassian make up his mind and he decides to stay back in Ferrix and join hands with Luthen Rael.
Luthen recruits him as an agent, leading to Cassian Andor officially joining the Rebel Alliance. Season 2 will further explore how Andor climbs the ranks in the Rebellion. The season 2 finale will lead the audience directly into the events of Rogue One.
Another plotline that season 2 could potentially explore involves Andor’s long-lost sister, Kerri. Maarva’s death brings back Andor’s interest in his lost sister. He got separated from Kerri back in his home planet, Kenari at the age of six. After that, Maarva brought him up as her adopted son.
Though we see Andor searching for Kerri towards the beginning of season 1, her mentions and flashbacks stop appearing as the season progresses. Now that Maarva is dead, Kerri is the only family that Cassian has left. So, it will not be surprising if he starts taking an interest in looking for Kerri once again.
Hopefully, Andor season 2 will give us more clarity about what happened to Kerri and where she is now. All in all, Maarva’s death in the season finale will prove to be a significant one and will leave a lasting impact on Cassian Andor.
About Andor
Andor is an American television series created by Tony Gilroy for the streaming service Disney+. It is a prequel to the Star Wars film Rogue One (2016), following the character Cassian Andor five years before the events of the film.
Set five years before Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Andor will see Cassian in his formative years as he becomes the charismatic Rebel and espionage master.
Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Stellan Skarsgaard, Adria Arjona, Fiona Shaw, and others star in the show. The series premiered on Disney+ on September 21, 2022, with the first three episodes.
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