The Latino Representation in Disney+ ‘Andor’ is Coming in Strong

The Latino Representation in Disney+ 'Andor' is Coming in in Strong belatina latine
Credit: Instagram @andorofficial

On Tuesday, September 20th, Disney+ released the first three episodes of the much-anticipated Latino lead Star Wars series “Andor” starring Diego Luna. 

The Mexican actor is reprising his role in 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” The following review will contain some – but very minimal – spoilers for the series. 

Before diving into the filmmaking and storytelling aspects of the show, it must be noted that Latino representation in the first three episodes is more consistent than any other project by Disney I can think of in its history. From the series leads and supporting characters to the show’s background talent, “Andor” has a strong Latino presence that is very refreshing to experience. 

“Andor” is not the first Star Wars project with a Latino actor as the lead. It was actually The Mandalorian” starring Pedro Pascal. However, the current show takes the representation of Latinos to another level.

Without giving away the juice of the plot, “Andor” is a prequel series to Diego Luna’s character’s first appearance in 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” Cassian Andor‘s introduction to the show is just as mysterious and ferocious as the first scene in his film debut. In this adventure, Cassian Andor is looking for his little sister who he separated from some time ago. Through flashbacks, we get a closer look at Andor’s upbringing in a small village – which seems to be 100 percent Latino. The flashbacks give the audience some insight to the unbreakable bond Cassian Andor has with his sister, Kerri. 

Has “Andor” met its expectations?

Disney+ series has gotten a lot of pushback from fans due to the lack of risk-taking and the poor structure in storytelling that was displayed in shows like “The Book of Boba Fett” and “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Still, the streaming platform has also delivered Emmy-nominated shows such as “The Mandalorian” and “WandaVision.” Truth is, the shows are either a hit or miss, so the mass majority of fans have been eager for the release of “Andor.”

It is also noteworthy how a large portion of fans prefer Star Wars to be less kid-friendly. At least, not for every project. Fans find themselves yearning for content quality at the caliber of HBOMAX. 

“Andor” takes some time to get its feet wet, but by the end of the third episode, it’ll be hard to imagine any Star Wars fan not being excited. 

Diego Luna is a badass in this role. The production of the show – surprisingly – looks better than “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” This is more of a testament to the lack of structure put into the making of Kenobi, which showed mid-20s Dark Side force users moving with less athleticism than your average senior citizen in “Andor.”

As a Star Wars fan, I’m genuinely excited about the release of “Andor.” 

When, in the history of television, can you think of a time that a huge IP in the public domain focused the bulk of its content led by Latino actors? (Even though there’s still plenty of work to be done in terms of our representation, this is a good move for the media.)

We have a Latino Mandalorian and a Latino Rebel. Disney, now it’s time to give us our first Latino Sith Lord! Who wouldn’t want to see lightning shoot from the hands of Esai Morales?

Have you been watching “Andor?”

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