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‘The Acolyte’s Manny Jacinto Officially Breaks Silence on The Stranger’s Return Under Dave Filoni

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Star Wars fans have been treated to a few exciting projects this year, starting with the latest animated Disney+ series, Maul — Shadow Lord. The show was a hit with critics and audiences, earning near-perfect review scores and a Season 2 renewal on its way to dominating streaming charts for weeks on end as new episodes came out two at a time. Star Wars fans have since been heading back to the theater to watch the franchise’s first movie on the big screen since 2019 with The Mandalorian and Grogu. Unfortunately, despite mostly positive reviews from audiences, the film is well on its way to being the lowest-grossing Star Wars movie in history, possibly even less than Solo. Plenty of Star Wars fans around the world have their theories about why The Mandalorian and Grogu is struggling to make the jump to hyperspace at the box office, but one of the most popular theories is the over-saturation of content from the franchise in recent years.

There have been plenty of Star Wars shows on Disney+ that have made the franchise more accessible to fans around the world, but one of the most unique entries came back in 2024 with The Acolyte. The show was the first live-action Star Wars project set outside the confines of the Skywalker Saga, even taking place hundreds of years before The Phantom Menace. The Acolyte received strong reviews, and it performed well on streaming, but it was tragically canceled after one season. This hasn’t stopped fans from continuing to demand a revival, though.

One of The Acolyte’s brightest stars was Manny Jacinto, who played the mysterious Dark Side Force user, Qimir aka The Stranger, the apprentice of Darth Plagueis. Collider’s Maggie Lovitt recently attended a panel for Jacinto at the Indiana Comic Convention, where he was asked what he would say if new LucasFilm CEO Dave Filoni asked him to return. “Oh, yeah,” Jacinto responded immediately, before swiftly crediting The Acolyte writer and creator Leslye Headland, “I mean, there is no Stranger without Leslye Headland. Again, it’s the people that helped build this character — it’s not just me. It’s the costume designers, our writers, all that stuff. It took a team to build Qimir, to build the Stranger. I’d love to work with them again as well,” he said, referring to the entire Acolyte team.

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Padawan

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What Is ‘The Acolyte’ About?

The Acolyte is set during the golden age of the Jedi during the High Republic, and it follows Osha (played by Amandla Stenberg), a former Jedi padawan who is roped back into her former life when a series of murders tie her back to her twin sister. Part of what made The Acolyte’s cancellation so painful was that there was a clear plan for more seasons. The show briefly introduced the Stranger’s master, Darth Plagueis, who was also the master of Darth Sidious, aka Emperor Palpatine. Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae also had a key role in The Acolyte as Master Sol.

Check out the first season of The Acolyte and stay tuned to Collider for more Star Wars updates and coverage.


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Release Date

2024 – 2024-00-00

Showrunner
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Leslye Headland

Directors

Leslye Headland, Alex Garcia Lopez

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Writers

Leslye Headland, Charmaine De Grate, Kor Adana

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Franchise(s)

Star Wars

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