Star Wars: The Acolyte appears to have some of the most potential for fresh new storytelling among the upcoming slate of Star Wars media. But interestingly enough, showrunner Leslye Headland took inspiration from a surprising place for one particular aspect of the new series.
Amidst the many new characters appearing in Star Wars: The Acolyte, there's one who may scratch an itch unbeknownst to many fans. This is the previously unnamed Wookiee Jedi already seen in several leaked set photos. The Wookiee named Kelnacca is just one of many Force users set to feature in this Sith and Jedi-focused Star Wars series. But while others might catch the eye of audiences due to the big names playing them, including stars like Dafne Keen and Manny Jacinto, viewers may have missed that a returning actor will play the fuzzy new friend.
Joonas Suotamo, who has become the new on-screen actor behind beloved the Wookiee Chewbacca, managed to catch the eye of Headland thanks to his appearance in 2018's less-than-well-received Solo: A Star Wars Story, and it gave her an idea. "It honestly started with Joonas," Headland revealed in an interview on EW's Dagobah Dispatch podcast (via Star Wars News Net). "We thought it'd be cool to do a Wookiee, obviously they have a Wookiee Jedi in the High Republic, and we thought it'd be cool to have our own version of that and have a very different character design."
Not only did Han Solo's buddy Chewbacca give her the idea to include a Wookiee Jedi, but Joonas himself was front and center as part of that inspiration. "But honestly, I really loved [Solo: A Star Wars Story] and I loved Joonas’ performance in it," Headland continued. "So I was watching it and I was like, 'Gosh, it'd be really cool to see him be a Jedi, and actually do some action work and some fighting, and to do not just the sidekick role.' And it kind of started there, and I didn't think they would let me do it. And I just kept pitching and pitching. And [special effects artist] Neil Scanlan really loved the idea. I especially loved the idea of having a Wookiee with the side of his head shaved."
The Acolyte is set to be a much less black-and-white take on morality and The Force in Star Wars. Headland has already drawn similarities between The Acolyte and The Last Jedi. The series stars Amandla Stenberg as a former Jedi padawan reuniting with her master to investigate a sinister, looming threat during a time 100 years before The Phantom Menace. Aside from the morality issue, Stenberg also spoke to EW about helping make sci-fi a more inclusive space as a Black actress with The Acolyte.
"When it comes to the world of fantasy and sci-fi in general, it hasn't felt like a safe space always for people of color," Stenberg said of the racist attacks from Star Wars fans still launched at many actors of color. "And it's been a world that I've always deeply loved and been invested in. So to be in any way, shape, or form a part of the wave that is ushering in inclusion and safety for Black nerds, it's my dream come true." Here's hoping she's right, and this does help fans of color feel safer and more welcome in the Star Wars fandom.
Star Wars: The Acolyte is set to premiere on Disney Plus in 2024.
Source: Dagobah Dispatch (via Star Wars News Net)