There’s a significant disturbance in the Star Wars universe for those unbalanced in the ways of the Force. The Acolyte’s showrunner Leslye Headland emphasizes the importance of balance with the Force for protection, referencing a quote attributed to Yoda from Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back: “For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is.” Headland expanded on this concept in an interview with Total Film magazine (per Screen Rant).
“Honestly, the way I look at it is, there is no light without darkness. No good without bad. So to me — and this might just be a personal thing — the Force is about balance. It’s not just a Marvel superpower. [The Force-sensitive] aren’t using telekinesis because they’re special, powerful people… it’s because they’ve achieved balance. As Yoda says, ‘My ally is the Force.’ So the idea of a separation from that was really interesting. If you are unbalanced, the Force cannot protect you.”
In the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ben (Ewan McGregor) struggles with the Force after being separated from it for over 10 years following Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith. He fully reconnects in the final episode, allowing him to defeat Darth Vader.
The Acolyte’s Lofty Ambitions in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Leslye Headland isn’t the only one bringing new ideas to The Acolyte. Actress Dafne Keen, who portrays Jedi Padawan Jecki Lon, wants to “top the Darth Maul fight” from Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace. Keen mentioned this in an interview with Entertainment Weekly:
“We want to top the Darth Maul fight — the most iconic fight, I think, in the Star Wars cinematic universe. It’s such an amazing fight, and we were all so excited about the saber fights. There’s such a skill and a craft to it that it feels so OG Star Wars and feels so impressive when you see it as a viewer.”
Keen said in a separate interview with EW:
“Leslye is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever worked with. She’s such an interesting director in the sense that she has an innate trust with actors and her crew that it makes you trust her more. She’s so confident in the people she’s hiring, and she has such a broad understanding of Star Wars and of cinema in general that I truly feel like I would follow that woman to the trenches.”
Wrapping Up
The two-episode premiere of The Acolyte drops Tuesday, June 4 on Disney+. Check out the official trailer for the upcoming series, which takes place approximately 100 years before Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace:
