Is Star Wars: The Acolyte set to be the queerest Star Wars entry yet?
We recently caught a first look at the new Star Wars: The Acolyte series coming June 4th to Disney+, and looking at the talent both in front and behind the camera, we can’t but help wonder, is this the queerest Star Wars entry yet?!
In Star Wars: The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master against a dangerous warrior from his past. As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems. Set at the end of the High Republic era, 100 years before the events of the Phantom Menace, we see the rise of the Dark Side coming to the fore at a time of galactic peace.
The series is created and helmed by Leslye Headland, known for her work on Bachelorette (2012), Sleeping with Other People (2015), and co-creating Netflix’s Russian Doll with Natasha Lyonee and Amy Poehler. Leslye is a lesbian and married her partner Rebecca Henderson, who also stars in The Acolyte, in 2017.
The series stars Amandla Stenberg, who came out as non-binary using she/her and they/them pronouns in 2016. While initially identifying as pansexual, she redefined herself as gay in 2018.
Alongside Stenberg, the series also features Rebecca Henderson (Russian Doll) who is married to the series creator Lesyle Headland, Charlie Barnett (Chicago Fire & Tales of the City) who says he realized he was gay at the age of 13, and Abigail Thorn (actor and YouTuber) who came out as a trans woman in 2021.
With such an exciting line up of LGBTQ+ cast and creatives, we’re excited to see how this plays out! Here’s hoping we some of that queer creativity play out into the storylines on screen.
Star Wars: The Acolyte launches on Tuesday, June 4, with the first two episodes, exclusively on Disney+.
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