The Acolyte takes place during The High Republic Era and roughly 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace. The Jedi Order is at the height of its power and the Galaxy is at peace, a far cry from the rise of the Empire during the prequels.
The Disney+ series has, unfortunately, already faced backlash for featuring a diverse cast. Now, a new interview with showrunner Leslye Headland and lead star Amandla Stenberg is likely to only further incense those "fans."
The Wrap asked them whether The Acolyte really is "the gayest Star Wars yet," to which Headland responded, "No, I don't think so. Yet people have told me it's the gayest Star Wars and I’m frankly..."
"You're offended?" Stenberg asked. "Into it," Headland responded with a laugh.
They'd go on to poke fun at some of the wider Star Wars franchise's supposed gay themes, including the long-held belief that there might be romantic feelings between C-3PO and R2-D2.
"Are you telling me, with a straight face, that C-3PO is straight?" Headland joked before declaring that R2-D2 being a lesbian is now "canon."
Honestly, it's all meant in good fun and, despite being deemed "woke" on social media by those who have never watched it, The Acolyte's first two episodes don't feature any obviously gay characters (and, even if it did, we're not sure why it would matter).
In our review of The Acolyte's first four episodes, we concluded by saying, "Star Wars like you’ve never seen it before, The Acolyte soars thanks to its impressive cast, compelling setting, and a mystery which will keep you coming back for more. Now, we just need to hope the series sticks the landing."
You can watch the interview with Headland and Stenberg below.
In The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems...
The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
The next Star Wars TV series comes from creator and showrunner Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), who also serves as executive producer alongside Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King, and Jason Micallef. Charmaine DeGraté and Kor Adana are the co-executive producers, and Rayne Roberts and Damian Anderson are producing.
The first two episodes of The Acolyte are now streaming on Disney+.