Look, we’re warning you now, this is about to get nerdy.
Despite having several series already in production, Disney+ is looking to add to its Star Wars slate with The Acolyte. Variety reports, Amandla Stenberg is in talks to take on the lead role.
The Acolyte will take place during “the final days of the High Republic era of the Star Wars timeline and will focus on the emergence of secretive dark side powers.”
In case you’re wondering, the High Republic was something of a Golden Age in the Star Wars universe. The Galactic Republic and the Jedi were at their height, and the Outer Rims were expanding. It ended around 50 years before Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
The Acolyte has a few meanings in Star Wars, but our best guess is the title may be referring to Sith Acolyte, which was a rank for an apprentice just starting out. Think of it as a dark side version of a Jedi Padawan.
This was before Darth Bane’s rule that there could only be two Sith at a time, a concept explored in the prequel trilogy.
Through 11 movies and five series, we’ve spent time with the Sith, but we’ve never truly done a live-action deep dive into the dark side. Yes, the prequel and sequel films expand the mythology, but a full exploration will be fascinating to watch.
With Leslye Headland (Russian Doll) writing/executive producing/showrunning, and Stenberg possibly starring, a female centric dark side story is really exciting for fans.
And if we’re being honest, Star Wars needs more Black characters in lead roles.
Stenberg is most well known for their roles in The Hunger Games and The Hate U Give, and recently appeared in the musical Dear Evan Hansen.
The Acolyte is expected to begin production in 2022. However, before we get there Disney+ has several other Star Wars series coming up.
The Book of Boba Fett, which features the famed bounty hunter (Temuera Morrison) and mercenary Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) taking over Jabba the Hutt’s empire, premieres Dec. 29.
Obi-Wan Kenobi has the return of Ewan McGregor, as the Jedi lives on Tatooine and watches over Luke. Andor is a Rogue One prequel, which shows Cassian Andor’s (Diego Luna) life as a spy before we meet him in the movie.
Ahsoka stars Rosario Dawson as the former Jedi, and of course The Mandalorian Season 3 will return at some point.
Wow, that’s a lot of Star Wars in 2022.
Are you interested in The Acolyte? Do you want to see Amandla Stenberg as a Sith?