Diego Luna will star in a new “Star Wars” series for Disney’s new streaming service. The show will be a prequel to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”
Luna will reprise his role as rebel spy Cassian Andor, the cocky daredevil who helped Felicity Jones steal the Death Star plans in the hit 2016 movie.
“Going back to the Star Wars universe is very special for me,” said Luna. “I have so many memories of the great work we did together and the relationships I made throughout the journey. We have a fantastic adventure ahead of us, and this new exciting format will give us the chance to explore this character more deeply.”
The show is one of several ambitious series coming to Disney’s Netflix challenger, which it has dubbed Disney+. As Variety first reported, Disney is developing a number of limited series centered on popular characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These shows may have actors such as Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen reprise their roles as Loki and the Scarlet Witch in programming that debuts on the streaming service.
The show will unfold in the early years of the Rebellion and is described as a “rousing spy thriller.” A release date for the series has not yet been announced, but production will begin in 2019. Disney expects to launch its new direct-to-consumer service late next year. The company believes that customers are moving more deeply into the world of subscription streaming. Even though companies such as Amazon and Netflix have a head start, Disney hopes that its suite of brands, which include not just LucasFilm, but also Pixar and Marvel, will give it an advantage.
“In this era of unprecedented consumer choice, brands matter more than ever,” Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger said on an earnings call with investors as the “Star Wars” news broke.
“We always believed we had the brands and content to be extremely competitive and to thrive alongside Netflix, Amazon, and anyone else in the market,” he added.