Disney+ Makes Star Wars History With The Acolyte’s Groundbreaking Story

Dafne Keen teased that the upcoming Star Wars Disney+ show The Acolyte will move the franchise into bold, new territory to become the first of its kind for Disney+ and Lucasfilm.

Logan‘s Dafne Keen was revealed to be joining the all-star cast, which features the likes of Squid Game‘s Lee Jung-Jae, The Matrix‘s Carrie Ann-Moss, and many more.

Little is known about the plot of the mysterious series, though showrunner Leslye Headland previously teased that the show will build upon why the Jedi Order acts the way it does in The Phantom Menace.

Now, Keen teased that the show is unlike anything that has been done before in Star Wars.

Dafne Keen Teases Brand-New Star Wars Disney+ Show

Speaking to TechRadar, Dafne Keen revealed further details about the upcoming Disney+ Star Wars show The Acolyte, which seems to be eyeing a 2024 release window.

During a press junket for the upcoming season of His Dark Materials, the star was asked if there was anything she could reveal about the highly anticipated Star Wars project. As many Star Wars fans know, The Acolyte will take audiences to a time before the events of Episodes 1-3, roughly 100 years prior to The Phantom Menace.

Keen joked that she could reveal that the show “is a prequel” when asked about what she could divulge.

Whilst the actress was understandably reluctant to give too much away, Keen confirmed that The Acolyte marks the historic feat of being the franchise’s first Sith-led project:

“No, I mean, as you know, it’s set 100 years before the prequel movies, and it’s kind of an explanation of how the Sith infiltrated the Jedi. It’s a Sith-led story, which has never been done before. It’s been really fun to film – the cast is amazing, and the director and crew are just lovely. The whole experience is wonderful, and I’m already excited for people to see it.”

Keen revealed that the show will explain how the Sith infiltrated the Jedi Order, eventually bringing about its demise as depicted in George Lucas’ Revenge of the Sith.

These comments also echo those of The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland from earlier in the year. Leslye confirmed that the show would be told from the perspective of antagonists and that this point of view lines up with her own love of the era when these bad guys were “essentially the underdogs” prior to the fall of the Republic and Jedi Order.

The writer also revealed that she “knew the timeline really well:” 

“I was coming at it as a fan who was much more into the RPG [role-playing games] that the Extended Universe feeds on. I came hard at that in the ’90s, and then got introduced to [the animated series] The Clone Wars. I knew the timeline really well. And I was like, ‘I think if you want to explore Star Wars from the perspective of the bad guys, the best time to do it is when the bad guys are wildly outnumbered. When they actually are essentially the underdogs, for lack of a better term.’ So this would be that era.”

How Will a Star Wars Fan Favorite Era Look On Screen?

Whilst there is still much secrecy surrounding The Acolyte, the cast and crew have done a great job at releasing little nuggets of information over the course of its production period.

Furthermore, given the love now shown to the prequels, fans are bound to be excited to explore events that tie so closely into that time period. This is especially after showrunner Leslye Headland revealed her own long-term love for the expanded universe, which is something that will spark excitement for fans who share a love for the Star Wars Legends timeline.

Of course, the publishing initiative The High Republic has been filling out the events in the galaxy far, far away prior to the Skywalker Saga. However, any on-screen content for this time period has been limited to short YouTube videos, and fans will look forward to seeing how it is brought to life on Disney+.

Certainly, if the Easter eggs in Andor which referenced the prequel era can generate so much excitement for Star Wars fans, The Acolyte is set to be a particular treat. In fact, it seems perfect for prequel lovers interested in the fall of the Republic and Jedi order, and the enthusiasm surrounding the show is shared by its cast and crew, too.

Both actress Dafne Keen and Headland seem passionate about the project, and complete with the all-star cast already confirmed, things are only looking up for how The Acolyte will spin the galaxy far, far away on its head and offer fans a brand-new point of view.

The Acolyte does not yet have a release date for Disney+.