Diego Luna is known for his good looks and charm, especially in his role as Cassian Andor in movies and TV shows like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Andor on Disney+. He has always portrayed the character with style whether as a thief, freedom fighter, or Rebel spymaster.
In the recent episode titled “I Have Friends Everywhere” in Season 2 of Andor, Luna’s character, Cassian Andor, takes on the persona of a fashionable designer named Varian Skye. This transformation showcases a different side of the character, highlighting his determination and spy skills with a suave touch.
This is the week that Cassian Andor went full intergalactic James Bond on our butts and I, for one, celebrate it.
**Spoilers for Andor Season 2 Episodes 4-6, now streaming on Disney+**
Cassian Andor was first introduced to audiences as a Rebel Intelligence Officer in the 2016 film Rogue One. He exuded confidence similar to Han Solo but also possessed the calmness and commitment of a true Rebel supporter. The audience’s initial impression of him involves a morally complex act, revealing his disciplined, brave, and composed nature.
The Cassian Andor we meet in the very first episode of Disney+’s Andor, on the other hand, is a diamond in the rough. He’s just a petty thief in over his head, drawn into the Rebellion on the promise of a quick buck. Over the last fifteen-plus episodes of the Tony Gilroy-created series, we’ve watched him transform first into a disciple to Luthen Rael’s (Stellan SkarsgÃ¥rd) cause and, now, into one of its leaders.
Case in point: Cassian’s mission to Ghorman in Andor Season 2 Episode 5 “I Have Friends Everywhere.”
As a rebel front begins to quietly foment on a prominent world secretly earmarked for genocide by the Empire, Luthen Rael dispatches Cassian to go undercover to the capital city to suss out the local organization’s chances. Cassian slips into action with nary an issue, taking on the mantle of a fashion designer taking a pilgrimage to the textile mecca of the universe.
The thing about Cassian’s cover, “Varian Skye,” is that he’s not designed to blend in as a nobody, but to stand out as a dandy. Cassian is clean shaven, well-coiffed, and even better dressed. The tailoring of his rich blue clothes identifies him as a man who cares about how he looks, ergo he wants to you to look. What’s great is that Cassian carries himself in a way that suggests he knows he looks good. (He even brags to partner Bix later about how “pretty” he was. She seductively asks if he can bring Varian home sometime. That sizzle you feel is pure sexual desire.)
But what makes this incarnation of Cassian Andor so smoldering isn’t just his fancy cloak or sweet sunglasses. It’s his competence.
When Cassian lands on Ghorman, he immediately takes on the role of Varian Skye, strutting through the central square of Palmo and cheerfully chatting up bellhops for intel. This isn’t the guy skulking about Coruscant, nervous about being recognized by the shopkeeper. He’s been transformed.
So much so, when the Ghorman version of Princess Leia, the local Ghorman Front leader’s daughter Enza Rylanz (Alaïs Lawson) attempts to corner Cassian at a Viennese-esque coffee house, it’s honestly dazzling to see him turn the tables. He slyly points out her utter incompetence, from her naïveté trusting him to the all-too-obvious tails she’s got following him. As Enza’s confidence crumples, Cassian’s ascends. For the first time perhaps in the whole series, he’s a man in control.
That’s why Cassian Andor’s transformation into Varian Skye is so scintillating to behold. This isn’t just a man taking on the billowing Ghorman twill of a power player; he’s a master spy embracing his calling. It’s this leveling up of Cassian’s status and abilities that’s twinkling behind his eyes as he gabs through Palmo. It’s this newly found self-awareness that’s bracing his confident stride.
Only as Varian Skye does Cassian Andor finally start to become the hero we know he’s destined to be.
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