Mads Mikkelsen's Celebration appearance sparks hopes for Galen Erso in Andor Season 2

Mads Mikkelsen, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story's Galen Erso, is coming to Star Wars Celebration 2025, which takes place in Japan next April.

Mikkelsen's appearance was officially confirmed as part of an updated list of guests who are set to appear at next year's celebration, which takes place from April 18-20, 2025. The list also includes Alan Tudyk, who plays Cassian Andor's droid companion, K-2SO. Tudyk is set to reprise his role in Andor Season 2. Other guests include Temuera Morrison, Manny Jacinto, Ashley Eckstein, Anthony Daniels, Daniel Logan, and Doug Chiang. This list is bound to grow even bigger and seems to hint at a possible return of Galen Erso in Andor Season 2.

Erso's possible return in Andor Season 2 makes complete sense, as Season 1 ended with an ominous tease of the Death Star, which Erso designs. As an Imperial Scientist, Galen Erso was to the Death Star as J. Robert Oppenheimer was to the atomic bomb. The difference is that Erso was an unwilling participant and coerced into creating the deadly superweapon by Director Orson Krennic. Its creation would ultimately result in the deaths of billions, including his daughter, Jyn Erso. However, Erso, Captain Cassian Andor, and their brave Rogue One team would go on to retrieve the Death Star plans from an Imperial data vault on Scarif.

Galen purposely built a fault into the Death Star, which would lead to its destruction, but not before the destruction of Scarif, Jedha City, and the complete annihilation of Alderaan. Season 1 of Andor makes Cassian's story more tragic, as he and his fellow inmates in Narkina 5 prison are shown unknowingly working on the Death Star. This connection between Cassian's time at Narkina 5 and the construction of the Death Star was a theory, but a post-credits scene from the Andor finale confirmed the tragic connection.

Ben Mendelsohn's return as Director Orson Krennic was confirmed by Diego Luna, which means the season will surely delve into Krennic's obsession with completing the deadly superweapon. If the story focuses on Krennic, Galen will surely return, and we wonder if Galen's return opens the possibility that Jyn Erso may also play a role in Season 2. While Felicity Jones has denied that she's returning, we know Galen's only motivation for staying alive was protecting his daughter, Jyn, so don't be surprised if Jyn's name also comes up at some point during Season 2.

Andor Season 2 premieres next year on Disney+.