The upcoming Disney Plus seriesStar Wars: The Acolytelooks to offer a bit of a unique spin on what audiences expect from the beloved sci-fi franchise. Not only will it offer the first live-action look into the relatively unexplored High Republic era, but according to Dafne Keen, it will give an even bigger focus to the villains.
Loganstar Keen, set to star inThe Acolytealongsideother big names like Carrie-Anne Moss, recently spoke about the new series and how it will set itself apart from previousStar Warsofferings. Many already knew that it will deal with the conflict between the Jedi and the Sith, which may seem positively old-hat to fans at this point. But according to Keen, that’s just the tip of the iceberg, and the real twist comes from the perspective.
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While contracts dictate that Keen isn’t exactly allowed to reveal much aboutThe Acolytethis early, she did have some tidbits to offer. “I can tease that it’s a prequel!” she joked when speaking withTechRadar. “No, I mean, as you know, it’s set 100 years before the prequel movies, and it’s kind of an explanation of how the Sith infiltrated the Jedi. It’s a Sith-led story, which has never been done before.” This would be an interesting new take on theStar Warsfranchise, especially since the Sith have almost always been seen as nothing but unambiguous villains pretty much since the beginning.
Many fans have been asking for more nuanced takes onStar Warsfor decades, so this possibility of seeingsympathetic Sith inThe Acolytecould truly be that breath of fresh air audiences have been looking for. It’s already been known that the series will focus on the final days of the High Republic, offering a look at when the conflict that ultimately leads to the fall of the Republic and Jedi Order begins. But seeing that from the side of the baddies is certainly an intriguing idea.
The High Republic era has not been explored much. Back in the days of the now non-canonStar Warsexpanded universe, many stories were told of the ancient conflict between the Jedi and the Sith. But it seems like the majority of them, even back then, were set either thousands of years in the past or in periods closer to the original and prequel trilogies. In that case, it makes sense thatThe Acolytewill reportedly draw inspiration from the expanded universe, given that it’s the closest the franchise has gotten to the story it seems eager to tell.
Star Wars: The Acolytelooks like it will offer something truly unique to theStar Warsuniverse. Based on the response to the excellent seriesAndor, the timing may be perfect, given how fans appreciate the effort. Here’s hopingseries lead Amandla Stenbergand the rest of the cast and crew put on a show worthy of their talents and the audience.
Star Wars: The Acolytewill release its 8-episode run on Disney Plus, though no release date has been confirmed as of yet.
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