One upcoming Disney+ series that's been relatively under the radar compared to other anticipated Star Wars series on the service, like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, has been Andor. It was previously revealed that Andor would have 12 episodes, but it appears those will be split into two seasons, as actor Stellan Skarsgard confirmed his return to filming for the series.
Recently, it was said that the first season of Andor would release on Disney+ "in the 4th quarter of 2022," according to Disney CFO Christine McCarthy. So any recent filming activity with Andor is for its second season, especially after composer Nicholas Britell was brought on to score the series.
So fans should be happy to learn about a new addition to the cast of Andor for its second season.
Scottish Actor Joins Andor Cast
According to Scottish tabloid The Daily Record (via Star Wars News Net), actor David Hayman was supposedly spotted on set for Andor in Oban, Scotland, the same location that the series is currently filming in.
When the 74-year-old actor was directly asked about his involvement, he had a good laugh about how it was all meant to be "top secret:"
“Everything was supposed to be top secret. About 500 film crew descended on Oban, and nobody was supposed to know what was happening. But folk were coming up to me and asking if I was doing my Wonders of Scotland programme or Star Wars. Everybody knew what was happening. It was hilarious.”
Additionally, while Hayman's role in Andor is unknown, the tabloid claimed he would be playing a "key" character.
Hayman has had an extensive film and television career, mostly appearing in UK-based productions such as the ITV drama Trial and Retribution, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Fisherman's Friends, and the first two seasons of the series Top Boy. Though the actor has been part of larger productions like 2014's Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and 2015's Macbeth, Andor will be Hayman's first major franchise role.
Who Could Hayman Be Playing?
Whatever David Hayman was filming, he was doing it in the open, as he made a cheeky joke about doing filming for his series Wonders of Scotland with David Hayman. There didn't appear to have been any elaborate sets built, which would make it evident that it was for Star Wars.
Is Hayman's character some hermit in isolation? It'd be a bit unbelievable if he were another Jedi in hiding, although there are plenty of those in Star Wars already who are slowly but surely killed by Darth Vader and his Inquisitors. So it isn't out of the question, but it's all a matter of what "key" exactly means.
A "key" role could be a limited but essential role within the story and not a new regular cast member, or could he be a character meant to appear in a more prominent role in another Star Wars series, like Ahsoka? That series is currently casting roles, so the addition of Hayman to Andor could further cloak his character's identity.
Whatever the case, fans will find out how "key" Hayman's character is in the second season of Andor when it's released on Disney+ sometime in 2023.
