The upcoming Disney Plus series Star Wars: The Acolyte looks 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.
Logan star Keen, set to star in The Acolyte alongside other big names like Carrie-Anne Moss, recently spoke about the new series and how it will set itself apart from previous Star Wars offerings. 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.
While contracts dictate that Keen isn't exactly allowed to reveal much about The Acolyte this early, she did have some tidbits to offer. "I can tease that it's a prequel!" she joked when speaking with TechRadar. "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 the Star Wars franchise, 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 on Star Wars for decades, so this possibility of seeing sympathetic Sith in The Acolyte could 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-canon Star Wars expanded 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 that The Acolyte will 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 Acolyte looks like it will offer something truly unique to the Star Wars universe. Based on the response to the excellent series Andor, the timing may be perfect, given how fans appreciate the effort. Here's hoping series lead Amandla Stenberg and the rest of the cast and crew put on a show worthy of their talents and the audience.
Star Wars: The Acolyte will release its 8-episode run on Disney Plus, though no release date has been confirmed as of yet.
Source: TechRadar
