In Andor Season 2, Episode 5, a familiar name is uttered on Coruscant. As Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) is heading to an official function, she runs into none other than Bail Organa. The idea that Bail Organa is in Andor Season 2 shouldn’t feel like much of a spoiler. After all, Princess Leia’s adoptive father was instrumental in starting the first version of the Rebellion. He witnessed the slaughter of the Jedi first hand, and one was one of three people — along with Yoda and Obi-Wan — to hatch the plan to hide the Skywalker twins. In a way, because he raised Leia from infancy, Bail is an extended member of the Skywalker family. He appears in everything from Rebels to Rogue One and the series Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Since 2002’s Attack of the Clones, Bail Organa has always looked like actor Jimmy Smits. But now, that’s not the case. Andor has recast Bail Organa, and as strange as it might seem, it’s great for Star Wars canon in general.
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Episodes 4-6 of Andor Season 2.
In Episode 5 of Andor, Bail Organa is played by accomplished actor Benjamin Bratt, known for his work in all sorts of great films, from Clear and Present Danger to Demolition Man. Bratt has also provided the voice of Superman in several animated DC projects. His appearance in Andor Episode 5 marks a big turning point for the series, and it's safe to say that Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy recast the character for a reason. Clearly, this won’t be the last time we see Bail in Andor Season 2.
Why didn’t Smits return to the role? After all, he was in a very recent Disney+ Star Wars series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, in 2022. Well, according to a recent THR interview with Gilory, “Legacy characters are really tricky to bring back. They’re very, very expensive. A lot of times, their schedules don’t work out.”
So, clearly Smits couldn’t do Andor Season 2 because of scheduling problems, hence we now have Bratt in the role. And as weird as this may seem, it’s a great sign for big swings Star Wars could take in the future. Recasting is, almost certainly, the future of the Force.
For one thing, the only reason we have Genevieve O'Reilly as Mon Mothma is because George Lucas recast the role for Revenge of the Sith. To put it another way, nobody was mad in 2005 that Episode III didn’t feature a CGI-Caroline Blakiston as Mon Mothma. O’Reilly didn’t even have a speaking role in the theatrical cut of Revenge of the Sith, relegating her performance to the deleted scenes — scenes she shared with Jimmy Smits as Bail.
So, while it’s a bit strange that Andor Season 2 has a new Bail, but the same Mon that we’ve had for 20 years, it’s also proof of something that more flexible fans have known for years: The characters are bigger than the actors who play them, and it’s okay to recast these roles for a variety of reasons. To put it another way, Solo’s recasting of Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo might scan as controversial now, but imagine if Ehrenreich showed up as Han in Ahsoka Season 2 or The Mandalorian & Grogu. We’d eat that up! Plus, the Donald Glover long-rumored Lando show can’t come soon enough.
But, more broadly, recasting Bail Organa works in Andor because we’re dealing with a good actor who is going to bring his own interpretation to the character, rather than just trying to check a fan service box. If the continuity of Andor were to extend into a future TV series — maybe a hypothetical show set in between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back — characters like Leia and Luke would need to be recast.
The de-aging of Mark Hamill for The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett was a neat trick. But it’s not sustainable for any kind of new take on the character. If Star Wars decides to continue to dip into its past to tell new stories, we can all accept new faces playing familiar roles. The new face of Bail Organa is the latest proof that this can work. Hopefully, he won’t be the last.
