Why Diego Luna Was 'So Disappointed' in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story's Ending

Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, and Alan Tudyk in Rogue One (2016).
Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, and Alan Tudyk in Rogue One (2016). | Industrial Light & Magic, a division of Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd., All Rights Reserved

It’s no secret that many Star Wars actors eventually have to say goodbye to their beloved characters. But for Diego Luna, that time came all too soon in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

The 39-year-old actor played Cassian Andor in the 2016 standalone film, who was eventually killed in a suicide mission alongside Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones). Just as fans felt heartbreak over his death, Luna couldn’t quite accept his character’s fate without major disappointment.

“When I saw the film the first time, I was so disappointed at the end,” Luna told SYFYWIRE. “And not because of the film.”

He explained that he watched the movie with his son, who asked his father “if that was it,” which saddened the actor. “I really realized that a character I loved, and a universe I couldn’t care more about ,” Luna said. “But the tone of our film, it pays honor to, I believe, the best times of this universe. And obviously, I say the best because it’s when I was open and ready to receive that. Those [Star Wars] films left a very deep mark on me, as audience, and as a filmmaker.”

Luna was under the impression that his time with Star Wars was over, however good news came when it was announced that the upcoming streaming service Disney+ would be developing a prequel series for Cassian Andor.

“ where you have time to develop, to see characters and do stuff that film won’t allow us,” Luna told SYFYWIRE. “And, I think the proximity, sometimes, with the audience becomes so much more profound; the connection.”

You can see Luna reprise his role in the yet-to-be-titled prequel series, which is expected to debut sometime in 2020.