Tony Gilroy’s “Andor” was viewed by many as a necessary shot of artistic adrenaline for the “Star Wars” franchise. The series, which follows a group of impoverished rebels prior to the events of “Rogue One,” earned praise for taking the franchise in a darker and more realistic direction after years of serving bland nostalgia. Many fans were surprised that Disney would take a chance on such a bold show — a sentiment that was shared by some of the creative team.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, star and producer Diego Luna opened up about the doubts he had about the series. While he says he always believed in Gilroy’s artistic vision, he admits that he once thought it was too bold to be a viable Hollywood product.

“I always had a feeling that this wasn’t gonna see the light [of day] till it did. I kept going, ‘This is too perfect. This is working,’” Luna said. “The whole idea, I always thought, ‘That’s impossible.’ Throughout the whole process, we did exactly what we thought was best. We never prioritized anything but the show. The writing took the time it needed to take, and we got the best cast you can have. So everything just kept getting better and better, and I always had the feeling that something had to go wrong. But it didn’t. We had the freedom and the support of Disney and Lucas[film]. We had the confidence of Kathy [Kennedy] behind the show.”

Ultimately, Luna said that the success of “Andor” restored some of his faith in the idea that it’s possible to make high quality, artistically nourishing art in the Hollywood system.

“You keep hearing in this industry that this is impossible and that this doesn’t happen. I grew up thinking that the cinema and the art I love was not popular, but this is a show I love,” he said. “This is a show I would recommend as the audience, not just as the actor or a producer. So, it wasn’t just the opening. Many times throughout the whole process, I found myself being impressed and surprised that this was happening. And I felt proud of it. Even today, I feel not just lucky, but fortunate to be a part of something like this and to be working with people I believe in.”