Star Wars is about to bring in a brand-new cast of actors to the galaxy far, far away during the upcoming Disney+ series, The Acolyte.
This series from Lucasfilm will take fans to the High Republic era for the first time in live-action, taking place a full century before the Skywalker Saga kicked off with Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
As it differentiates itself from both the Skywalker Saga and everything that's been seen in the MandoVerse thus far, The Acolyte looks to give a new crop of actors the chance to take their place in Star Wars history within the franchise's first Sith-focused live-action project.
The Acolyte Confirmed & Reported Actors
1.) Amandla Stenberg
After first breaking onto the scene in 2012's The Hunger Games, Amandla Stenberg will play The Acolyte's leading character, as she joins the galaxy far, far away. This show will see Stenberg play a former Jedi Padawan in this blast to the past, with the first trailer showing the actress in a purple robe and a face mask
Stenberg revealed more about her character in an interview with ComicBook.com, describing her as someone "attempting to respect the place she comes from" in a time and place that "doesn’t necessarily placate her."
And while it's unclear whether this series will see Stenberg's heroine take up the ways of the Jedi again, she'll experience her own struggle with her morals and ethics as the world changes around her.
2.) Lee Jung-jae
Lee Jung-jae will take his place as one of The Acolyte's leading characters alongside Stenberg, playing a Jedi Master who imparts his wisdom to this show's new group of younglings. The first trailer showed his hero settled in at the Jedi Temple, and after his starring role in Netflix's hit series Squid Game, this will mark his biggest role yet in the USA.
While Lee actually noted that filming was more efficient for Squid Game than this Star Wars series, he also admitted that The Acolyte was the biggest project of his career, expressing gratitude for the opportunity as well.
3.) Manny Jacinto
The Jedi and Sith are far from the only focus in The Acolyte, which will get a new perspective on the galaxy through Manny Jacinto's hero. In a chat with Screen Rant from Star Wars Celebration, Jacinto shared that he'll play "a citizen of the galaxy" who winds up being dragged into "a High Republic Jedi mission almost unknowingly."
After playing a key supporting role on NBC's The Good Place, Jacinto went on to even bigger projects over the next few years, most recently starring as Fritz alongside Tom Cruise in the 2022 mega-blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick.
4.) Jodie Turner-Smith
Jodie Turner-Smith makes her Star Wars debut in The Acolyte, although her hero won't necessarily side with either the Jedi or the Sith in this story. At Celebration, she explained that she's "a very powerful leader" who "leads women" and even uses the Force, although there's no telling right now where her interests and her loyalties lie.
Turner-Smith has a handful of popular credits on her resume from the past decade, including 2019's Queen & Slim along with Jennifer Anniston and Adam Sandler's recent Netflix hit, Murder Mystery 2.
She's also teased just how "epic" this series will be when it debuts, highlighting the highly positive experience she had working with director Leslye Headland and praising Amandla Stenberg's performance in the leading role.
5.) Dean-Charles Chapman
English star Dean-Charles Chapman joins The Acolyte's cast as one of the new class of Jedi in this series, following a rise to fame that's slowly built in recent years.
A veteran of major TV shows like Game of Thrones and Into the Badlands, Chapman also has impressive theatrical credits, being prominently featured in the 2020 Oscar-winning movie 1917. This will only be the latest major franchise to which Chapman adds his expertise, slowly building his resume as he moves forward in Hollywood.
6.) Joonas Suotamo
The first live-action Wookie Jedi in Star Wars history will be played by Joonas Suotamo, taking the spotlight in The Acolyte after Wookies were seen using the Force in multiple animated Star Wars projects. This Wookie will even have a place as a Jedi Master alongside Lee Jung-jae's headlining hero adding to the Wookie legacy that's been a staple of the Star Wars universe since Chewbacca first hit the big screen.
Suotamo already has a history of taking on Wookie roles, replacing Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca in Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.
The former Finnish basketball star is quickly becoming a regular body double star along with his rising career as an actor, which he will bring to this new Wookie character on Disney+.
7.) Dafne Keen
The alien quota for The Acolyte will rise with Dafne Keen's new Jedi as the young star wields a lightsaber upon entering the Star Wars universe. While her specific role remains under wraps, Keen described her new character as "pretty badass."
Keen is perhaps best known for her role as Laura/X-23, making her film debut alongside Marvel icon Hugh Jackman in the 2017 Oscar-winner Logan.
8.) Charlie Barnett
Charlie Barnett comes into The Acolyte as a young Jedi who's said to have "cool hair," even donning a yellow lightsaber that hasn't been seen since Rey's in Episode IX.
Barnett was part of the main cast in showrunner Leslye Headland's 2019 show Russian Doll, and he even played a recurring role as John Diggle's son in the final season of Arrow in the DC Universe's Arrowverse.
9.) Carrie-Anne Moss
In The Acolyte's first trailer, Amandla Stenberg is seen attempting to fight and/or kill a Jedi in a bar, with the Jedi in question being played by 30-year Hollywood vet Carrie-Anne Moss in her Star Wars debut.
Moss is known for memorable performances in classic movies like Memento and The Matrix, and she even came back to her role in 2021's The Matrix Revolutions. For the Marvel fandom, she's also highly recognized for her time working on Netflix's Defenders Saga, playing attorney Jeri Hogarth primarily in Jessica Jones while also moving into other Netflix series as well.
10.) Rebecca Henderson
Another Russian Doll alum will join this series as Rebecca Henderson takes on the role of Vernestra Rwoh, a character who has thus far only been seen in the High Republic book series. In an interview with Collider, Henderson teased that she was playing a "Mirialan Jedi," who dealt with emotional consequences following the sudden death of her former master, Stellan Gios - a story that will likely be explored in the show.
This should be Henderson's most prominent role yet in her biggest franchise to date, though she also boasts experience on Orange Is the New Black and Westworld.
11.) Margarita Levieva
2024 will be something of a coming-out party for Margarita Levieva, who joins The Acolyte in an undisclosed role.
After finishing her work with Star Wars, the new star moved over to the Marvel side of Disney, reportedly taking on the role of Matt Murdock's love interest in the MCU's Daredevil: Born Again. And with the actress taking on seemingly big roles in both series, she'll be in plenty of exciting conversations all year, particularly once her characters in both series are confirmed and announced.
The Acolyte is set to arrive on Disney+ sometime in 2024.
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