Before Benjamin Bratt joined the Star Wars franchise in Andor Season 2, a Lucasfilm creative envisioned the actor playing a very different character in the galaxy far, far away. With Andor Season 2 now streaming, an anecdote from author Claudia Gray is circulating online again. In a 2019 Tumblr post, Gray shared her picks for who would play characters from her novel Master & Apprentice. She had Bratt in mind to portray Rael Averross, who trained under Count Dooku. He was Dooku’s apprentice before Qui-Gon Jinn. Rael and Qui-Gon became good friends during their time in the Jedi Order.
Gray’s other picks for Master & Apprentice characters include Shaun Evans as Pax Maripher, Uzo Aduba as Halin Azzuca, Gemma Chan as Rahara Wick, and Sadie Sink as Fanry.
Master & Apprentice, published in 2019, marked the first appearance of Rael Averross in Star Wars canon. In the book, he serves as the Lord Regent of Pijal and enlists the help of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan Kenobi to settle a dispute with the Czerka Corporation. Rael was also featured in the audiobook Dooku: Jedi Lost. The character has never appeared on screen.
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Bratt’s role on Andor was revealed to be Senator Bail Organa. His casting surprised fans, as Jimmy Smits had previously played the character in all previous live-action appearances. Bratt joined Andor due to scheduling conflicts with Smits. Bail does not have a lot of screen time on Andor, but he still has a key role as one of Mon Mothma’s allies in the earliest days of the Rebellion.
Marvel actors have played multiple MCU roles, so there isn’t any reason why Bratt couldn’t play Rael Averross if Lucasfilm ever wanted to use the character in live-action. However, it’s difficult to see where Rael could fit in a movie or TV project. Master & Apprentice is set prior to the events of The Phantom Menace, and the studio doesn’t seem to have anything planned that takes place in that area of the timeline. The Mandalorian & Grogu and Ahsoka Season 2 take place in the New Republic era post-Return of the Jedi, while Star Wars: Starfighter is set years after The Rise of Skywalker. Rael’s fate is a mystery, but he’s likely passed away by the time the New Republic is operating.
Bratt could always play the character in an adaptation of Master & Apprentice, but Lucasfilm has never gone in that direction for an on screen project. In fact, sometimes the movies and TV shows contradict what’s in the comics and novels (see: how Cassian meets K-2SO on Andor). The closest fans might ever get to seeing Rael in action is if he ever appears in a comic book, then perhaps Bratt’s likeness could serve as the inspiration for the character’s physical appearance. If nothing else, Gray’s fan cast gives readers something to picture mentally as they read through Master & Apprentice.
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