The advent of streaming has allowed us to delve deeper into the Star Wars universe than ever before.
With shows like The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, Andor, and Obi-Wan Kenobi delivering out-of-this-world storytelling, it’s time for some new stories in the sprawling universe.
Enter The Acolyte, a series that takes us to 100 years before Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
Taking the show that far back will give us some fresh new characters, conflicts, and everything else you’d expect from a show set in that universe.
Everything we hear makes The Acolyte sound like Andor, which successfully told a story with a different lens than we’d gotten before in the Star Wars universe.
With the premiere fast approaching, it’s time to delve into everything we know about The Acolyte.
When does The Acolyte premiere on Disney+?
After months of teases, Disney+ recently revealed that The Acolyte will premiere on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
As has become the norm with highly anticipated releases, we’re getting two episodes on the premiere date, which is the perfect way to immerse us in the world of The Acolyte.
It’s not a binge release, but if the show has the water cooler effect that the other shows that came before it had, people will happily wait week after week to theorize about what’s happening on-screen.
Few shows can do that nowadays, but the Star Wars universe remains in demand, even if people think Disney+ has diluted the brand too much.
How many episodes have been ordered for The Acolyte Season 1?
Eight episodes have been ordered for The Acolyte Season 1, which is on par with the other entries on Disney+.
Shorter episode orders usually work in favor of shows because there’s less time for things to go wrong, but given that this is an original story in the Star Wars universe, we hope not a single moment is wasted.
Getting the story right will be crucial to its success, and the right episode order will set the right pace. If it’s too fast or too slow, Disney+ and Lucasfilm will hear about it from critics and social media.
What is The Acolyte about?
Details about The Acolyte are being kept under wraps, and we’re not too surprised.
With it being an original story in the Star Wars universe, we must go in with some element of curiosity.
All we really know is that it focuses on a respected Jedi Master investigating a series of crimes that bring him into conflict with a former Padawan learner and reveals sinister forces.
It’s a short and sweet description that raises more questions than answers.
The show will likely kick off with people who enjoy storylines involving Jedi because, let’s face it, they’re some of the best around.
The official trailer delved deeper into the storyline and showcased Carrie-Anne Moss from The Matrix as Indara, who may or may not be the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy.
Who will star in The Acolyte?
In addition to Carrie Anne-Moss, the impressive cast also includes Amandla Stenberg (Mae), Lee Jung-jae (Sol), Manny Jacinto (Qimir), Dafne Keen (Jecki Lon), and Charlie Barnett (Yord Fandar).
The cast also includes Jodie Turner-Smith (Mother Aniyesa), Rebecca Henderson (Vernestra Rwoh), Joonas Suotama (Kelnacca), and Abigail Thorn (Ensign Eurus).
The cast also includes Dean-Charles Chapman, Margarita Levieva, and Amy Tsang in undisclosed roles.
There will also likely be many other actors in undisclosed roles, but they’ll be kept under wraps until a later date.
Lucasfilm keeps plenty under wraps so that viewers are shocked when they watch the events play out.
Is The Acolyte a limited series?
There has been plenty of talk about whether The Acolyte is a limited series, but Disney+ recently revealed that it could go on for multiple seasons.
We expect the first season to be closed-ended, with a tease of what could happen in a future season because it’s doubtful Disney+ would cancel a show in that universe.
Star Wars is a massive brand, not only on Disney+ but in theaters.
Its grip extends to video games and merchandise, so the streaming service wouldn’t allow bad press to be associated with it. This means that even if the show massively underperforms and has a cliffhanger, there’s a high chance we’d still get a resolution.
There’s also the possibility that in success, it could leap to the big screen.
The Mandalorian is getting the big-screen treatment, but it could also hint that the series iteration is over. Time will tell how that will play out.
Do you need to watch any Star Wars shows or movies before The Acolyte?
Thanks to The Acolyte’s creation as an entry point for new fans and its place in the timeline, people unfamiliar with Star Wars will be able to watch.
This isn’t a team-up of characters from the movies. It’s an original story set at the end of the High Republic era.
Of course, the end of that time sets up many of the conflicts in some of the other Star Wars projects, but that’s the extent of the connective tissue here.
The Acolyte premieres on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, on Disney+.