Star Wars has been exploring new sides of the galaxy far, far away with its recent shows, but Star Wars: The Acolyte may be straying further away from George Lucas’ original plan for the franchise than ever before. Recent Disney+ Star Wars shows have depicted new and different stories in the galaxy, from bounty hunters in The Mandalorian to renegade clones in The Bad Batch. The upcoming Star Wars show The Acolyte will continue that trend, but it could be ignoring what Lucas intended for the franchise to be, promising to take a deep dive into the dark side of the Force.
Star Wars has traditionally focused on the heroes of the galaxy and their fight for freedom. That usually takes the form of telling a story about the Jedi versus the Sith and light versus dark, but newer additions to the franchise have diversified their choice of protagonists. Where they haven’t changed is in their choice of heroes as main characters, but the story of The Acolyte could break the mold by following the Sith during the High Republic era. That would make The Acolyte unique, but it would also make it wildly different from Lucas’ plans for the Star Wars movies.
Star Wars: The Acolyte Cast & Character Guide
Here’s everything we know about The Acolyte’s cast and the characters they will be portraying in Star Wars’ most mysterious project yet.
The Acolyte Is A Different Kind Of Prequel Story To Lucas’ Star Wars
Star Wars was always designed for younger audiences, and Lucas kept them in mind throughout the original and prequel trilogies. The Acolyte seems to be taking on a much more mature tone by telling a complicated and mysterious story from a Sith point of view. Lucas’ movies were fun adventures through a fantastical galaxy, and their main goal was to instill a sense of wonder in their viewers. The Acolyte seems to be shifting its focus towards portraying a more nuanced story, where things aren’t as cut and dry as the light side of the Force versus the dark.
Telling a story more geared towards older viewers is a big shift from Lucas’ original plans for Star Wars. The idea of telling more mature Star Wars stories has been around for years, with some viewers excited at the prospect of a potential R-rated Darth Vader movie, but they have never seen much progress. The franchise has been more concerned with reaching large audiences, which requires more family-friendly storytelling. That seems to have changed, though, and the nature of streaming may have given new shows like The Acolyte the creative freedom necessary to break away from Lucas’ vision.
Would Lucas Have Objected To Breaking His Vision?
The Acolyte breaking from Lucas’ vision isn’t new. Lucas updated Star Wars to bring it to a new audience and generation when he made the prequel trilogy, and Disney is doing it again with its new shows and movies. He always wanted Star Wars to keep up with the times, and he knew that doing so would mean the franchise had to change and evolve. He also understood that while Star Wars was made for children, it has always had older fans, and he included mature aspects like the details of Palpatine’s political maneuverings and Order 66 for those viewers.
While The Acolyte might be aimed at a more mature audience, the Star Wars franchise as a whole isn’t following suit. Releasing new content directly to streaming means that the franchise can diversify and offer more specialized options for different parts of its audience. There have already been shows aimed specifically at younger children than Lucas intended, like Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. Creating new Star Wars content that resonates more with certain viewers than others strengthens the franchise, as everyone can find something that was made with them in mind, and it doesn’t fly in the face of Lucas’ original intentions.
The Acolyte is taking a newer, more mature direction with its story than any Star Wars show has ever seen before. Its focus on the Sith and the dark side of the Force isn’t aimed at children, which goes against what George Lucas envisioned for his creation. However, that shift in tone doesn’t mean that Lucas would disapprove of the choice. Star Wars is a long-lasting franchise, and anything that sees success over an extended period has to adapt. The Acolyte‘s changes are just another sign that the franchise is here to stay.
The Acolyte
- Cast
- Dafne Keen , Lee Jung-jae , Amandla Stenberg , Jodie Turner-Smith , Joonas Suotamo , Carrie-Anne Moss , Margarita Levieva , Charlie Barnett , Dean-Charles Chapman
- Story By
- Leslye Headland
- Streaming Service(s)
- Disney+
- Franchise(s)
- Star Wars
