Here’s why Diego Luna feels ‘Andor’ is so relevant today
“Andor” star Diego Luna tells USA TODAY’s Brian Truitt why he feels this series is so relevant today.
Holy Sith, you guys, Star Wars Day is upon us again.
“May the 4th” is a day for all lovers of Jedi, the Resistance, the Skywalkers, the Hutts, Boba Fett, Baby Yoda, Gamorrean guards, Maz Kanata, General Grievous, Rancor Keeper and Jek Porkins (RIP) to unite and celebrate all there is in the galaxy far, far away. (Why May 4, you ask? Why, it’s right there in the date, a play on “May the Force be with you.”)
This Star Wars Day, fans will likely be in a nostalgic mood with the 20th anniversary of “Revenge of the Sith” arriving later this month. And lovers of Disney+ shows like “The Mandalorian” will be tucking into the new animated series “Tales of the Underworld” while they await next week’s episodes of “Andor” Season 2.
The franchise full of colorful characters – good, bad and ugly – has remained beloved to generations since George Lucas’ original 1977 “Star Wars,” which means a lot of ways to get your “May the 4th” on. Here are some of our favorites:
Watch the ‘Star Wars’ movies. Or, more likely, watch them again.
If you can believe it, there are people who’ve never seen “Star Wars.” But there’s no excuse now that all nine movies in the Skywalker saga – as well as the spinoffs “Rogue One” and “Solo: A Star Wars Story” – are a few clicks away on the Disney+ streaming service.
Longtime fans can break out the Blu-rays and DVDs, hunt for VHS cassettes, or – if you want to really go old school – dust off the laser discs. And we do suggest you watch the original “Return of the Jedi,” rather than the later special edition that took out the Ewoks’ celebration song and inserted Christensen (instead of “Jedi” star Sebastian Shaw) into the Dead Jedi Club at the end.
“Yub nub.” Never forget.
Watch Return of the Jedi on Disney+
Binge ‘Star Wars’ shows, including new ‘Tales of the Underworld’ and ‘Andor’
For Star Wars Day, Disney+ is premiering “Tales of the Underworld,” a new six-episode animated miniseries (and follow-up to 2022’s “Tales of the Jedi” and last year’s “Tales of the Empire”) centered on two villains from the “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” Former assassin and bounty hunter Asajj Ventress is forced to go on the run with an unlikely new ally, and space outlaw Cad Bane confronts an old pal on the opposite side of the law.
And if you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing the completely adorable Baby Yoda (aka Grogu), now’s the time to catch up with the first three seasons of the Disney+ Western-flavored series “The Mandalorian,” starring Pedro Pascal as the armored title gunslinger. But really, you need to be watching the best of the “Star Wars” shows, “Andor” – the first six episodes of the second season are available now, with six more in the coming weeks.
Watch Tales of the Underworld on Disney+
Break out the blue milk to pair with your Tauntaun cookies
Luke Skywalker’s Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru had blue milk on their breakfast table back on Tatooine, and you can enjoy it as well with these recipes. (Seriously, who doesn’t want to try blue milk pudding?!)
StarWars.com has a whole section of food-related fun for those who want to party hearty, including Port Borgo Noodles (inspired by the “Skeleton Crew” show), Ewok sushi, Tauntaun cookies (with candy innards!) and Chopper cereal treats. If you need more, the “Star Wars: Galactic Baking” cookbook is full of sweet treats to satisfy your little Jawas.
Read the further adventures of Kylo Ren and some old-school Rebels
If the news of upcoming movies (Ryan Gosling in a “Star Wars,” y’all!) haven’t been exciting enough, the rash of recent comic books and novels – most of them pretty rad – have fleshed out stories not seen in the films.
“Star Wars” comic books have been exploring uncharted territory in various periods of the galaxy far, far away. The “Star Wars: Legacy of Vader” series features Kylo Ren digging into the past of his grandpa, Darth Vader, to figure out his own identity, while “Star Wars: Jedi Knights” recently debuted Atha Prime, a character originally designed for an 1980s toy line that was never released. Comixology has a great digital sale going on to get newer comics and older series for cheap, and May 3 is also Free Comic Book Day this year, when you can grab a special new “Star Wars” issue gratis at participating comic book shops.
Book lovers currently loving “Andor” will want to check out “The Mask of Fear,” the first novel in a series told through the perspectives of Rebel leaders Mon Mothma, Bail Organa and Saw Gerrera.
Say ‘Punch it, Chewie!’ to some kid activities
StarWars.com offers a whole slew of things for crafty moms and dads to do with their children. Make a Baby Yoda pencil pouch, a Hoth snowglobe or a Death Star piñata, and print out various coloring sheets and word searches.
If your kids want some extra starpower, however, check out Daisy Ridley reading “BB-8 on the Run,” featuring her character Rey’s little droid buddy, or “How NOT to Draw R2-D2,” with Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels. Plus, StarWarsKids.com is your one-stop resource for children to find out about all the characters and creatures fans love.
Buy something fun and extremely nerdy
Lots of places discount their Star Wars merch and/or release exclusives on May 4, and StarWars.com has a roundup of all the coolest stuff, from Chewbacca flannel shirts and Hoth mini backpacks to a Grogu ring and R2-D2 Clip Charm. Heroes & Villains is doing daily T-shirt drops through May 5. And if you’ve got time on your hands (and sufficient shelf space in your house), Lego has released a large collector’s series version of Jango Fett’s starship from “Attack of the Clones” with minifigures of Jango and his boy Boba, so you and your family can build to your heart’s delight.
As the Mando might say, this is the way.
