Cassian Andor

Cassian Andor
Star Wars character
Diego Luna as Cassian in Rogue One
First appearance	Rogue One (2016)
Created by	John Knoll
Portrayed by	Diego Luna
Information
Full name	Cassian Jeron Andor
Aliases	Fulcrum
Affiliation	Confederacy of Independent Systems Rebel Alliance
Title	Captain
Homeworld	Fest

Cassian Andor is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, portrayed by Mexican actor Diego Luna in the 2016 film Rogue One. He is a pilot and Intelligence officer for the Rebel Alliance, and captain of the Rogue One, a rebel unit attempting to steal the plans to the Death Star, a powerful weapon.

Though not initially named Cassian Andor, a "Cassian Andor-type character" appeared in the original treated of Rogue One written by John Knoll, chief creative officer at Industrial Light & Magic, and the first draft of the script written by Gary Whitta. The character was created as a member of Rogue One, then commanded by a Rebel Alliance sergeant version of Jyn Erso. The original intention was to kill all members of the Rogue One team, including Cassian. However, fearing that Disney would not allow the ending, Knoll and Whitta wrote that Cassian escapes Scarif with the Death Star plans alongside Jyn Erso and, though their ship is destroyed by Darth Vader after they transfer the plans to Princess Leia, they narrowly survive in an escape pod. Whitta stated that having to "jump through so many hoops" to ensure survival indicated that Cassian and Jyn should die on Scarif. Producer Kathleen Kennedy and Disney ultimately approved the ending in which the entire crew dies.

In May 2015, it was announced that Diego Luna had been cast in a lead role in Rogue One. Director Gareth Edwards wanted Cassian to be warm and likeable rather than the typical stoic, brooding action hero, leading to Edwards' decision to cast Luna early in the casting process. Diego Luna felt that his casting, and the casting of other non-white men in the film's leading roles, reflected a "modern approach" and a world in which "racial and cultural diversity is in fact making us richer and more interesting".