The new teaser trailer for Andor, which debuted at Star Wars Celebration, gave fans its first glimpse into Cassian Andor's (Diego Luna) life pre-Rogue One. The character was known for being a spy and assassin for the Rebellion, going on their most secretive and dangerous missions to help the Rebel cause against the Empire. Andor promises to show Cassian at a dark time in his career as a spy when he doesn't particularly care about the Rebellion or even about right and wrong, according to the show's director Tony Gilroy in an interview with Vanity Fair. This period of his life will no doubt show his interactions with other spies and informants in their efforts to take down the Empire, and may even tease the formation of the fan-named "Fulcrum Trio," an organization of Rebel informants first seen in Star Wars Rebels that go by the name of Fulcrum.
The Fulcrum codename, developed by Ahsoka Tano when Bail Organa asked her to join his network of spies in the eponymous E.K. Johnston novel, was once Anakin Skywalker's personal communications channel in the Clone Wars. In the decade preceding the Battle of Yavin, the title of Fulcrum was used by many Rebel informants, but most prominently by the Fulcrum trio, made up of Ahsoka, Cassian and former Imperial agent Alexandr Kallus. Ahsoka's role as Fulcrum was a major plotline in the first season of Star Wars Rebels and Kallus' defection to the Rebellion began when he was recruited to be a Fulcrum in Season 3. Though Cassian was not named as a Fulcrum agent in Rogue One -- only in the film's visual guide -- Rogue One and Rebels fans have come to associate him with the codename and consider him part of the trio of spies.
Since Rebels and Andor both take place around the same time, roughly five years before the Battle of Yavin (5 BBY), it's safe to assume that Cassian's journey from thief to high-level Rebel spy might have him crossing paths with the original Fulcrum Ahsoka. Scant details about the plot have been released thus far to drum up anticipation and viewership for the show, but Gilroy did give some away in the same Vanity Fair interview. He says that Cassian will get recruited by a rebel talent scout on "the worst day of his life" to join their cause; he doesn't say which character, new or old, will recruit Cassian. However, it might come at the suggestion of Ahsoka, if not her directly.
Ahsoka's appeared in several live-action Star Wars projects as of late, notably The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, so she might have a small role in Andor as well to introduce the Fulcrum network. Since Cassian is already a Fulcrum agent by the events of Rogue One, it would be a missed opportunity for Andor's creative team not to depict him becoming one of the major informants in the trio. Watching Cassian come to dedicate his life to this revolution after years of being against it in the best way he knows how, as a spy and a man willing to get the job done, feels like the logical narrative endgame for the first season.
Of course, a Star Wars show about spies that leans into the political noir genre would be remiss not to include Kallus in some capacity. Kallus hasn't been confirmed as a character in Andor, but rumors about the series' plot indicate he might be part of the show if not a casual name-drop. Other rebels might suggest that he would be a prime candidate for a Fulcrum because of his role as a member of the Imperial Security Bureau, which gathers intelligence about rebels and uprisings across the galaxy. While a Kallus appearance might be more likely in Ahsoka, being touted as the live-action sequel to Rebels, showing Kallus in Andor would flesh out the world of spies and intelligence that keeps the Imperial machine running in Star Wars.
Andor is a prime place to show how Fulcrum agents are recruited and trained to work for the Rebellion. If the creative team decides to retcon Cassian's role as a Fulcrum agent -- and they very well could -- the show will be all the worse for it since the story is about the galaxy's networks of spies. The early days of the Fulcrum Trio's members being recruited would be a great subplot for Andor's freshman season, and further connect it to the Star Wars family of shows.
Andor will stream exclusively on Disney+ with a two-episode premiere on Aug. 31, 2022.
