Disney Didn't Want 'Andor' Creator to Discuss Fascism

Tony Gilroy says Disney asked him to avoid using the word 'fascism' while promoting the 'Star Wars' series.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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In a new interview, 'Andor' creator Tony Gilroy revealed that Disney asked him and the show's actors to avoid using the word 'fascism' while promoting the 'Star Wars' series, even though the show is clearly about authoritarianism and fascism. Gilroy said he and the team instead discussed historical models and comparisons to avoid directly addressing the political themes.

Why it matters

The 'Star Wars' franchise has long been understood to be about the fight against fascism, but Disney's apparent reluctance to have the creator directly address those themes raises questions about the company's willingness to confront political issues in its popular entertainment properties.

The details

Gilroy explained that while he and the 'Andor' team wanted to openly discuss the show's exploration of fascism, Disney asked them to be more cautious in their promotional interviews. Instead, they discussed historical models and comparisons to avoid directly addressing the political themes. Gilroy said this was to ensure the show's diverse cast of actors, who have a 'broad spectrum of political ideas,' would not 'perjure themselves or violate their conscience' when discussing the show's themes.

  • The interview with Gilroy was published on February 20, 2026.

The players

Tony Gilroy

The creator and showrunner of the 'Star Wars' series 'Andor'.

Disney

The media conglomerate that owns the 'Star Wars' franchise and commissioned the 'Andor' series.

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What they’re saying

“We were like, 'Oh my God, this is really electric.' So we stepped back, and we had a bunch of people that we were going to put on the road to sell the show. The actors have a broad spectrum of political ideas, and we didn't want anybody to perjure themselves or violate their conscience.”

— Tony Gilroy, Creator and Showrunner, 'Andor' (Hollywood Reporter)

“We studied history to make the show, and we based it on historical models. We don't have a crystal ball. There's comps for everything that we did all through history.”

— Tony Gilroy, Creator and Showrunner, 'Andor' (Hollywood Reporter)

What’s next

The 'Andor' series is expected to continue exploring themes of authoritarianism and fascism as it progresses, despite Disney's apparent reluctance to have the creator directly address those topics in promotional interviews.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing tension between creators' artistic visions and the commercial interests of major entertainment companies like Disney, which may be hesitant to have their popular franchises engage too directly with sensitive political themes, even when those themes are central to the source material.