The High Republic era, set between the famous Old Republic period of the Star Wars galaxy and The Phantom Menace, has been around for a few years now. It’s an age of peace and prosperity for the Republic, the Jedi Order, and the galaxy as a whole. But dark powers plot in the shadows to gradually take over. We know how it all ends, but how did it start? The new Disney Plus series “The Acolyte” aims to answer this.
While the High Republic comic books and novels have dealt with other major threats such as the nefarious Nihil raiders and the Path of the Open Hand, the later part of the era will be defined by The Acolyte. It’s an especially interesting chunk of Star Wars history, with the Sith going from supposedly extinct to undermining the Republic as well as the Jedi Order from inside.
After much speculation following its announcement in late 2020 and some early footage shared with Star Wars Celebration 2023 attendees, Disney and Lucasfilm have finally unveiled the first-ever public trailer for the upcoming Disney Plus series.
Related: Everything we know about ‘The Acolyte’: Release date, plot, cast & more
The bulk of the plot details are being kept in the shadows, but this first look at the series confirms it’s very much the mysticism-heavy thriller we were promised, with the action going full martial arts on top of the usual lightsaber action.
Never-before-seen aliens are present, and the central conflict seems to be more complex than the usual ‘good vs. bad’ battle we’re used to. Plus, who’s the mysterious dark side user pushing away a whole group of Jedi Knights effortlessly? Are we finally going to meet Darth Plagueis or his master?
The show has also been confirmed to debut on June 4, as rumors suggested. This will make it go up against other TV behemoths such as The Boys season 4 (Prime Video), House of the Dragon season 2 (Max), and The Bear season 3 (FX) in the early summer period.
The release date was unveiled before the trailer hit with a striking teaser poster which you can see below in all its glory:
Along with the trailer, another poster with the titular acolyte at the center was released, also letting Disney Plus subs know about the June 4, 2024, release date:
The Acolyte’s packed cast includes Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), Dafne Keen (Logan), Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim), Rebecca Henderson (Inventing Anna), Charlie Barnett (Russian Doll), Dean-Charles Chapman (1917), Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix), and Joonas Suotamo (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker), who plays a Wookiee Jedi.
The long-anticipated series comes from creator, showrunner and exec. producer Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), and began production in the U.K. in late 2022. The full roster of directors and writers hasn’t been unveiled yet, but it includes Headland herself, Loki season 1’s Kate Herron, Kogonada (After Yang), and Alex García López (The Witcher).