‘Andor’ Creator Tony Gilroy Says Disney Banned “Fascist” Description

It has been nearly a year since Andor Season 2 concluded, and series creator Tony Gilroy is finally allowed to use the term “fascism” when talking about the Star Wars series. Since Andor debuted, but particularly following Season 2, many noted how the series’ depiction of fascism through the Empire often served as a mirror to current American politics, one that has only increased the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and occupations in cities. Andor was an overtly political series, one where Mon Mothma used the word genocide. However, the promotional material for the series often shied away from this.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Gilroy was asked about a prior comment he made in May 2025, in which he said he was not allowed to use the words “fascism” or “genocide” in promotional material for Andor. When asked if he had a difficult time promoting the series, Gilroy said:

“We didn’t. Diego [Luna] and I had some early, super long-lead press, and we tiptoed out. We were like, ‘Oh my God, this is really electric.’ So we stepped back, and we had a bunch of people that we were going to put on the road to sell the show. The actors have a broad spectrum of political ideas, and we didn’t want anybody to perjure themselves or violate their conscience. So we came up with a legit historical model, and it’s a version of what I’m telling you now. ‘We studied history to make the show, and we based it on historical models. We don’t have a crystal ball. There’s comps for everything that we did all through history.’ So that was a very, very safe and legitimate place for us to sell the show without ever having to say what I’m free to say now.”

Disney+

The previous comment referenced by The Hollywood Reporter came from a panel at the ATX Television Festival via IndieWire, after Andor Season 2 had concluded. Gilroy had said, “I’ve been allowed to start using the word ‘fascism’ the last couple of weeks. That’s liberating,” hinting that Disney had held off on using the term fascism in the marketing and promotion for Andor. However, Gilroy added:

“But I don’t think it should be any surprise or even be too slippery or complicated for people to understand the road I have to walk to do all this; to maximize the audience and protect the investment of a really brave [company.] I mean, [for] Disney this is $650 million. For 24 episodes, I never took a note…we fought hard about money, but they never cleaned anything up. That [freedom] comes with responsibilities.”

Disney has certainly found itself in hot water over the past few years. Following Donald Trump’s second presidential term election, the company scrapped completed episodes of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and the Pixar series Win or Lose. Both episodes centered on transgender characters that were seemingly canceled as overtly political moves to avoid direct retaliation from the Trump administration. Nevertheless, trying to cater to the forces that would criticize them ultimately proved pointless, as Disney found itself on the receiving end of a culture war debacle over Rachel Zegler’s comments about the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, turning the 2025 remake into one of the internet’s most toxic discourses in recent memory.

Despite its questionable recent decisions, Disney did still give Tony Gilroy the keys to one of their most cherished and valuable IPs in Star Wars to tell an overtly political and socially conscious story with Andor. Season 2 was not only one of the best series of 2025, but also the best Disney+ Star Wars show, casting a large shadow over the rest of the franchise. Its message is out there for everyone to see, and hopefully those who watched it were listening and paying close attention.