Tony Gilroy Blasts MCU’s Overreliance on MacGuffins to Explain Its Decline

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Summary

  • Andor creator noticed flaws in the initial Marvel-esque pitch for the series.
  • Tony Gilroy decided to focus on character arcs and avoid using MacGuffins like the MCU.
  • Gilroy emphasized the importance of character development over external objectives in storytelling.

In his own words, the ingenious storyteller Tony Gilroy shared an account of when the concept for Andor was initially proposed. He mentioned that during this time, he identified certain imperfections similar to those seen in Marvel films.

The live-action series titled “Andor” takes place within the Star Wars universe, serving as a prequel to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” This show primarily revolves around Cassian Andor, a character from “Rogue One.” Developed by Tony Gilroy, the sci-fi drama spanned over two seasons. It earned critical acclaim for its gripping narrative, subtle tension buildup, deep political themes, and realistic portrayal. The series has been hailed as one of the most successful and well-regarded Star Wars projects. Most recently, Gilroy discussed the show and films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

During a conversation with SlashFilm, director Gilroy shared that when he first heard the pitch for ‘Andor’, he felt it had potential but had some issues. He noticed certain similarities between the initial concept of ‘Andor’ and Marvel films. Originally, the series was structured as a buddy-cop adventure featuring Diego Luna’s Andor and Alan Tudyk’s character K-2SO. However, Gilroy felt that this plot wasn’t the best direction, so he opted for a different approach. He chose to delay the introduction of the Imperial droid, only revealing it toward the end of Season 2. In his own words:

They weren’t entirely flawless, but they had a critical weakness. To put it another way, if your production is the one portraying the Citadel, and we storm it in the very first episode, what can we expect from episode 9? How do you plan to progress? It appears that all you will continue doing is acquiring more discs.

As per Gilroy, he found similar issues in the MCU films and the initial episodes of Andor, which seemed to have a more episodic structure and an emphasis on plot devices like MacGuffins. This observation was likely referring to the reoccurring theme of significant objects, such as the Tesseract from the Avengers, which in Marvel Comics is a powerful cosmic container for the Space Stone, one of six Infinity Stones. However, unlike in the comics, the Tesseract in the MCU is depicted as a small, blue cube containing the Space Stone, granting its user abilities to manipulate space, teleport, and travel between dimensions. Nevertheless, Gilroy seems to believe that it’s not ideal for a movie to heavily focus on a specific object or gadget.

As a seasoned movie critic, let me share my thoughts: The constant emphasis on the Tesseract in these Marvel films seems to be their undoing. If the narrative solely revolves around acquiring this artifact, it feels as though the creators are merely chasing after it rather than crafting a compelling story.

Tony Gilroy Claims Marvel Studios Is Overreliant On MacGuffins, Which Hurts The Overall Product

Gilroy makes a valid observation regarding MacGuffins – narrative tools that push a story forward. These elements are crucial for character motivation and initiating the plot, yet they don’t hold inherent importance themselves. In other words, their function outweighs their actual essence. After fulfilling its role, the story may evolve and move away from it. Notably, MacGuffins can be found in numerous movies, including iconic franchises like the Ring in “The Lord of the Rings” and the briefcase in “Pulp Fiction.

As a film enthusiast, I believe Gilroy intended to convey that fixating on external goals may detract from character growth and profound themes. Instead of adhering to this method, he crafted Andor differently by emphasizing character arcs, political intrigue, and moral complexities to construct a tale that strikes an emotional chord. And it does! It seems Marvel has taken note because their latest release, Thunderbolts*, boasts a team of anti-heroes or reformed villains, and the script was designed to enrich their human aspects. Despite the leads being imperfect, audiences found themselves drawn to them due to their relatability. Evidently, it worked, as the film is currently thriving at the box office.

*Note: I am unaware of any upcoming or recent Marvel movie titled “Thunderbolts.” This is a hypothetical example for illustrative purposes only.

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2025-05-24 20:36