The upcoming Star Wars Disney+ series The Acolyte will contain a record-breaking Jedi cast.
One thing that makes the upcoming series so unique, aside from being set during the High Republic prior to the Prequel Trilogy, is that it's mostly told from the point of view of the Sith. While stories in the franchise are often shared from the perspective of the Jedi, this time, it'll be a little different.
However, while the villains might be the leads, fans shouldn't expect the show to skimp out on including Jedi in the project.
After all, the Jedi Order is at an extreme high at this point on the timeline, a fact the series won't be ignoring.
The Acolyte Will Have Lots of Jedi
While speaking on the Dagobah Dispatch podcast, The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland talked about the upcoming Star Wars Disney+ while teasing the amount of Jedi the series will contain.
Headland first teased that the project will be "the earliest in the Star Wars timeline than [they] have ever been in live-action:"
“I would say that The Acolyte stands out because it is the earliest in the Star Wars timeline than we have ever been in live-action. We are towards the end of the High Republic, leading into the prequels, George [Lucas]’s prequels. So we are looking at a time period where the Jedi are at the height of their power, we’re looking at a time period where there is peace throughout the galaxy, and it was very challenging and interesting to make a Star Wars with no war in it."
To make it even more unique, the story will be "from the perspective of the bad guys or the villains of Star Wars:"
"Though, the question became, ‘Well, what should the show be about if it’s not going to be about galactic conflict?’ And I think that what makes this show different and interesting is that it’s from the perspective of the bad guys or the villains of Star Wars. These are people who are using the Force in their own way, dipping into the darker side of the Force, and are doing it without being sanctioned by the larger institution, which in this case is the Jedi. And I think that Star Wars is always about some version of the underdog vs. the institution."
She then confirmed that The Acolyte will have "more Jedi than you've seen in any other of the Star Wars content:"
"And I just thought it was very interesting to do a show about the bad guys and to set that during that time period made the most sense. So I think that’s what sets it apart. It’s kind of almost flipped. We have more Jedi than you’ve seen in any other of the Star Wars content."
While there might be more Jedi, the series will also focus on "more morally ambiguous characters than [audiences have] seen in Star Wars content:"
"But at the same time, I think you see more morally ambiguous characters than you’ve seen in other Star Wars content. And I think I can say this pretty confidently: I don’t think you’re going to see action in other shows the way that you see it used and utilized in our show.”
With such a focus on the record-breaking amount of Jedi in the show, could fans end up seeing scenes with more Jedi than a scene like the final battle in Attack of the Clones?
The Many Jedi of the High Republic
At least eight new Jedi actors are already confirmed to appear in the upcoming Star Wars series—most of which remain unnamed. Some of those actors include Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Carrie-Anne Moss, Dafne Keen, Dean-Charles Chapman, and Charlie Barnett.
At least two new Jedi characters have names, including Joonas Suotamo's Wookiee Jedi Master Kelnacca and Rebecca Henderson's Vernestra Rwoh, who first appeared in Phase 1 of the High Republic books.
Star Wars certainly isn't a stranger to Jedi, but many stories do tend to focus on a small group of the force users instead of larger quantities.
Even the Prequel Trilogy, where Jedi were abundant, only put the focus on Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker—with brief moments given to others, like Yoda or Mace Windu.
Similarly, the High Republic boasts thousands upon thousands of active Jedi simultaneously (potentially the most ever active at once in a live-action project), so it makes sense for a story in that era to be filled to the brim with members of the order.
There's currently no release window for The Acolyte, but fans should expect a 2024 release.
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