Being born almost two months to the day after the theatrical release of the original Star Wars, the franchise has been a huge part of my life for literally all of that life. I love Star Wars and always have, and while many fans have legitimately complained about the way the galaxy, far, far away has constantly expanded under Disney, I’m on record saying that I want more Star Wars.
Having said that, while I have certainly enjoyed almost all of the new Star Wars movies and series we have received over the last few years (Rise of Skywalker notwithstanding) there is a problem that I, and more than a few others judging by social media, have had with recent Star Wars shows. And while that may make some people less excited for the upcoming Star Wars series. However, despite a general feeling of "meh" with Star Wars recently, I'm looking forward to The Acolyte premiere date coming up in a couple of weeks, and I hope I'm not the only one.
Modern Star Wars Series Are Easter Egg Hunts
I feel like pretty much everybody loved The Mandalorian when it debuted alongside the launch of Disney+. It was the first live-action Star Wars series we had ever seen, and it introduced a new character and was set in an era of the Star Wars story that we hadn’t really seen before. Since then, however, things have changed.
It was when Season 2’s debut episode ended with a look at Temeura Morrison’s returning Boba Fett that things really began to take a turn. Between making Fett a key character, and eventually giving him his own series, and the introduction of Ahsoka Tano, which paved the way for the live-action introductions of the cast of Star Wars: Rebels, the galaxy far, far away didn’t expand, it shrank.
Honestly, this isn't even limited to the series. Star Wars: The Force Awakens was largely a retread of the original film. In The Rise of Skywalker, well... Palpatine returned. So much of modern Star Wars has been focused on reminding you that you loved an older thing, not giving you something new to love.
The Mandalorian had started as something new that could have gone in any direction imaginable, but the direction that it chose was back into the safety of the characters and stories we know. Continuing these stories is fine, I liked Rebels too, but it has continued to feel like including references and characters is becoming the point of these shows, rather than telling compelling stories that happen to use those characters. This is where The Acolyte can be different.
The High Republic Will Be Entirely New To Most Of The Audience
The Acolyte is set during a Star Wars era known as The High Republic. It’s hundreds of years before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, which means that with the possible exception of Yoda, there won’t be any characters we know in the series and the plotline should be entirely disconnected from anything we’ve seen to before.
To be fair, yes, The Acolyte isn’t entirely disconnected from its own Star Wars stories. However, thus far The High Republic has only existed in print, being created in novels and comic books. And even then, The Acolyte is set long after the period those books have been covering.
There will still be some connections. We know that at least one character, Vernestra Rwoh, played by Rebecca Henderson, who has been a significant part of the books, will appear in The Acolyte. There will also likely be a handful of references to the books that those who have read them will get and appreciate.
But the simple fact is that most significant fans of the Star Wars movies have never read a Star Wars book. While references may exist, they can’t be the focus of things because only a small portion of the viewing audience will understand those references. I’ve read some of the High Republic books, and I’ve enjoyed them, but I don’t honestly expect that even I'll catch any callbacks that are made.
Even with some slight connections to a book you probably haven’t read, from what we’ve seen in The Acolyte trailer, it looks like the story we’re going to get is fairly self-contained. It’s about a set of particular Jedi existing at a particular moment in time and the threat they must overcome. It doesn't need to be more than that.
The Acolyte Can Be What New Star Wars Should Be
When Disney bought Lucasfilm, there were certainly a lot of Star Wars fans who were far from thrilled. Before the ink was dry on the deal, we knew we would be getting another trilogy, and that Disney had massive plans to expand the Star Wars brand with spinoff films not directly related to the main story.
Before we even knew what these movies, like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story were going to be, I was excited about them. The potential for new stories was nearly limitless. The world that had been created by George Lucas, and by Disney, allowed for all sorts of interesting stories.
Ahmed Best wants to make a “Jedi John Wick” movie, and I love it. Such a project doesn’t need to concern itself with anybody named Skywalker or Galactic Empires. It can be set almost anytime and he can do almost anything. Jedi have served many roles over the centuries, almost any of them would make for a good movie.
If The Acolyte is just, to use the language Disney has already created, a "Star Wars Story" I'll be happy. I don't need to be reminded of the characters and stories I already like. I already love it. I've seen all the Star Wars movies, in order. I want to see new stories with new characters that simply use the tools and the concepts of this franchise to tell their story.
I expect The Acolyte will ultimately connect, even if it’s only in a suggested way, with the bigger Star Wars story we know. If this series is the first domino that falls, leading to the Galactic Empire, so be it, but that likely won’t come until the end. Before we get there, we’ll hopefully have a great Star Wars series that tells a fun and engaging story that will feel like something new, rather than something that needs to feed on nostalgia.
