Andor designer Michael Wilkinson confirmed an unhidden Man of Steel influence on the Star Wars series on Disney+. The prequel series explored compelling and emotionally gripping stories leading up to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, raising the stakes as the Rebellion risks everything to fight the Empire. A huge part of the storytelling puzzle boiled down to the characters' various costumes made by Academy Award-nominated designer Michael Wilkinson.
Wilkinson (via Star Wars) ensured that the costumes in Andor looked the way they did "for a reason," pointing out that "it had to really resonate and be authentic to the characters where they were at in the story." Achieving that goal is not easy, considering that Andor exists in an already established world filled with various heroes and villains in the galaxy. Still, Andor creator Tony Gilroy embraced the show's "canon challenges," noting that the goal of every aspect (including costumes) is to make it authentic. Thankfully, Wilkinson's experience working on Man of Steel helped deliver the realness of Andor's costumes, making each stand out.
In a post from Instagram, Andor costume designer Michael Wilkinson shared that his earlier work on Man of Steel helped him determine the approach in crafting costumes for the Star Wars series, confirming an obvious connection between the two projects:
"When thinking about my designs for 'Andor,' I was inspired by my earlier work on 'Man of Steel' - the ancient/futuristic culture of Krypton is another example of worldbuilding, and using costumes to tell the story of a new world."
As fans may know, Wilkinson also served as the costume designer for Zack Snyder's Man of Steel in 2013, which launched the DC Extended Universe. In the movie, the Kryptonians wore unique clothing that blended ancient and futuristic designs, establishing Krypton as a planet with a vast history.
The same thing happened to Andor since the series' costumes embraced the show's grounded nature, which made it stand out amid the already-established world in which they are set.
Developed by Tony Gilroy, Andor follows Cassian Andor as he navigates a complicated journey to become a significant part of the Rebel Alliance in the events leading up to his appearance in Rogue One. Andor is headlined by an A-list cast led by Diego Luna, Adria Arjona, Stellan Skarsgard, Genevieve O'Reilly, Denise Gough, and Kyle Soller. Andor premiered on September 21, 2022, while Season 2 was released on April 22, 2025.
Man of Steel launched the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) by introducing Henry Cavill's version of Superman to the world. The movie, directed by Zack Snyder, also stars Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, and Diane Lane. Man of Steel premiered on June 10, 2013.
Why Andor's Costumes Helped Its Story & Overall Feel
Michael Wilkinson's experience working on Man of Steel gave Andor a welcome boost. It helped the Star Wars series emphasize its gritty and (sometimes) brutal world in a galaxy filled with lightsabers, the Force, and the Dark Side.
By veering away from the usual aesthetics of Jedi wielding lightsabers, Andor made perfect use of its costumes by allowing them to stand out through Wilkinson's design while still honoring the franchise's science fiction roots.
Andor has many characters throughout its two-season run, including the Rebellion, the Empire, prisoners from Narkina 5, citizens from Ghorman, and the people from Ferrix. Despite its vast array of individuals, the costumes for each group of characters are distinct from one another, proving how Wilkinson's designs allowed a seamless world-building tool for the series.
By using Man of Steel as his foundation for Andor's costumes, Wilkinson helped deliver Tony Gilroy's vision of crafting a visually distinct world that is still set in the Star Wars backdrop.
