There are popular franchises, and then there’s the Star Wars movies. The film world was changed forever with George Lucas’ original trilogy, and now generations have grown up watching the galaxy far, far away in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Actress Adria Arjona famously played Bix in the Emmy-winning series Andor, but it turns out she was previously up for another role. Let’s break it all down.
Prior to rumors Arjona might be the DCU’s Wonder Woman, brought a ton of heart to Bix in Andor. In a video on the Happy Sad Confused podcast’s YouTube, the 34 year-old actress revealed she originally auditioned for a role in Solo: A Star Wars Story. She recalled this by saying:
I was with Alden [Ehrenreich]. Phil [Lord] and Chris [Miller] were there. I don’t think I’ve ever been more nervous in my life. They put you in a suit, and my biggest dream ever was to be in a Star Wars movie. I hadn’t necessarily seen a Latin American woman like myself be in Star Wars. It almost felt like I had to break that wall, or at least somebody else or another Latin American should break that wall, and I would always root for them. But, to be testing, it’s like, ‘Oh my god, it’s going to be me.’
Honesty, this is relatable. Getting to join Star Wars is a dream for many actors out there, especially if they grew up watching the beloved space opera as a young person. Adria Arjona clearly wanted to get in on the fun, which is why she was so nervous when auditioning for the role of Qi’ra in Solo.
As fans know, Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke ended playing Qi’ra during the standalone film. Unfortunately, Solo‘s poor box office performance meant that we didn’t get a sequel. Later in the same interview, the Belko Experiment actor spoke more about her dream of joining Star Wars. In her words:
I never thought about the sequels or anything. It was more the emotional attachment of ‘Will I ever be in Star Wars?’ I just wanted to be in Star Wars, and the fact that I had the opportunity to be a leading character in a Star Wars movie was like, ‘Wow. This would be insane.’
In recent years Star Wars has put out a ton of live-action TV content on Disney+. The Mandalorian was the first project to open that door, followed by Andor, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett and the ill-fated The Acolyte. But at the time of her Solo audition, Arjona was focused on joining the franchise on the big screen.
Later on in the podcast, Adria Arjona spoke more about how Emlia Clarke ultimately edged her out for the role of Qi’ra in Solo. But while she was likely originally bummed about not landing that role, she seems happy with how things ultimately turned out, and who she got to play in Andor. In the actress’ words:
I didn’t think too much of it. But then Emilia [Clarke] got it, and she’s probably one of the best actresses out there. She’s amazing. So I’m like, ‘Oh my god, it makes total sense.’ ‘Yes, that makes more sense. And they did it, and I’m so thankful that I didn’t get it. I wouldn’t have been in Andor, and Bix is the only character I have tattooed on my body.
Sometimes things happen for a reason, and not landing the role in Solo left Adria Arjona available to play her signature role in Andor. She’s clearly proud of her role in that acclaimed series, so much so that she got a tattoo of her character Bix. We’ll just have to see who she ends up playing in Man of Tomorrow, and if those Wonder Woman rumors end up being legit.
Adria Arjona’s new A24 movie Onslaught is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. And folks can re-watch her time on Andor over on Disney+.
