Rogue One’s Orson Krennic Is Back In Andor Season 2 – And Set To Clash With Dedra Meero

In the pantheon of Star Wars villains, Orson Krennic is perhaps the most thrillingly smug. Played to sneering perfection by Ben Mendelsohn, Rogue One’s baddie wasn’t the leader of the Empire, or a powerful Sith Lord – he was something of a middle-man, overseeing the completion of the Death Star, delighting in throwing his weight around, while also finding himself severely outranked and overpowered by the likes of Grand Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader. And while he bit the bullet (or, a blast from his own Death Star) at the end of Rogue One, he’s back in Andor Season 2 – once again donning that pristine white cape as his Imperial super-weapon approaches completion.

Just as Krennic bumped up against internal resistance in Rogue One, he’ll have even more competition to face in Andor – like Denise Gough’s ultra-ambitious Dedra Meero, a highlight of Season 1. “If they didn’t see eye to eye, to me, it’s cute,” Mendelsohn tells Empire of the pair’s dynamic, in our new world-exclusive issue. “Dedra versus Krennic? I think it’s a bit of a mismatch. They’re all underlings to Krennic.” Expect plenty of jostling – even if the Imperial forces are all aligned in their aim. “They’re all going in one direction,” says Mendelsohn. “The Empire, if you speak your mind, there are differences of opinion.”

The real question is, does the return of Krennic also mean the return of Tarkin – the OG Star Wars baddie played by the late Peter Cushing, who stole credit for the Death Star in Rogue One (conjured with CGI, and a physical performance from Guy Henry)? “You know I can’t answer that,” swerves Mendelsohn. “And I delight in not being able to answer your question. It’s a beautiful thing.” Just like Krennic’s crisp white cape.

Read Empire’s full cover story on Andor Season 2 – speaking to Tony Gilroy, Diego Luna, Genevieve O’Reilly and Ben Mendelsohn on the final chapters of Cassian’s story – in the January 2025 issue, on sale Thursday 21 November. Pre-order a copy online here. Andor Season 2 comes to Disney+ from 23 April.