Does trailer footage confirm Maz Kanata will appear in Andor? A prequel to Rogue One (itself a prequel of Star Wars), Andor is set in the years before victory at the Battle of Yavin, and follows Diego Luna's Cassian Andor during his early missions for the Rebel Alliance. Billed as a "spy thriller," Andor will build towards the events of A New Hope, and feature familiar faces K-2S0, Mon Mothma, and Saw Gerrera. Andor's placement in the Star Wars timeline bears precious little relevance to Disney's sequel trilogy, but official trailer footage has sparked discussion over a potential appearance by Maz Kanata.
Played by Lupita Nyong'o, Maz debuted in 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens before making her presence felt in both Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. An ally of the Resistance, Maz ran a Mos Eisley-esque criminal haven from her castle on Takodana, and largely spoke in infuriatingly vague riddles. Underdevelopment of her character is among the most frequent criticisms of Disney's Star Wars trilogy, and Maz Kanata's story undeniably has room to expand via future projects.
Around the 2:10 mark in Andor's official Disney+ trailer, a character suspiciously like Maz Kanata can be spotted conducting some surgical procedure on a sleeping patient. The figure has orange skin, white hair, a thin frame, ear coverings, and rounded, bug-like eyes. Since the trailer shot is both fleeting and dark, one could easily mistake the surgeon for Maz Kanata but, upon closer inspection, Maz Kanata it is not. The Andor character seems male, and their facial features (when paused and brightened), bear little resemblance to Lupita Nyong'o's short CGI character from the Star Wars sequels. It's possible that the unidentified alien belongs to Maz's species (the name of which remains unknown), but a wider angle reveals four arms, none of which look especially orange. Maybe this surgeon is a hybrid of several different species (with Maz's as the head), or maybe the resemblance is purely accidental.
Could Maz Kanata Appear In Andor? Where Is She During Its Timeline?
Maz Kanata may not be the alien wielding a syringe in Disney+'s Andor trailer, but the charming pirate queen could still feature alongside Diego Luna. Though she may not look it, Maz is centuries old in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, so is alive and active during Andor's timeline. Star Wars still hasn't offered much regarding Maz Kanata's movements immediately before/during the original trilogy, but implies Maz went into hiding after Order 66 due to her Jedi connections, and remained off the Empire's radar. The Star Wars: Commander video game confirms she hired bounty hunters to strike back whenever Imperials drew close, and according Star Wars: Forces of Destiny's "Bounty Hunter" episode, Maz was already friendly with Han Solo (Chewbacca even more so) by Return of the Jedi, helping Princess Leia sneak into Jabba's palace on a rescue mission.
Given the aura of secrecy still hanging around Maz Kanata's past and her obvious tendency to side with the Rebels whenever she must, it's entirely feasible that Cassian Andor could encounter Maz during his solo series, enlisting her (presumably reluctant) help on some secret mission. But while the timeline and motivations may fit, Maz Kanata's presence in Andor doesn't seem especially likely. Drafting an actress of Lupita Nyong'o's stature for an unannounced cameo seems unwise when Maz lacks the big-name impact of Princess Leia, Darth Vader, or even Grand Moff Tarkin. And while Andor could probably render a CGI Maz without Nyong'o's involvement, such a decision would invite criticism of its own. Viewers will probably have to make-do with the four-armed lookalike.