The Acolyte, the upcoming new Star Wars series currently in development for Disney Plus, could open the door to entirely new timelines of the Star Wars Galaxy, according to Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. The proposed new series is set to take place years before both the original trilogy and the prequels in the days of the “High Republic.”
Although casual fans may be unaware, the Star Wars timeline, including the founding of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order, as well as the emergence of the Sith, comprises a Tolkien-esque span of several millennia. Kennedy recently spoke to Collider regarding the potential of future Star Wars projects set years or even centuries apart from the Skywalker saga that the franchise is founded on.
“We actually were intrigued with that because if that show works, then it really gives us an opportunity to expand on that. And that’s what’s so great about television because it gives us sort of this larger playground for experimenting.”
– Kathleen Kennedy
And while Kennedy’s statement is rather broad, a successful series set well before the film properties could be a lead into eras that have previously only been seen in the canon and non-canon novels and comic books. Future series could explore Darth Revan and Darth Malak and the foundation of the Sith Empire, the foundation of the first Galactic Republic, and the rise of the Dai Bendu, the original precursors to the Jedi.
The ideas may have to wait until The Acolyte is out and fan reception has been gauged, but the franchise is in the middle of its most expansionist period, and it may be that even a flop wouldn’t preclude the studio from mining the rich backstory of the Galaxy far, far away. For now, fans interested in the far Galactic past will have to enjoy Obi-Wan Kenobi and the upcoming Andor series and cross their fingers.
The Acolyte currently has no set release date.
Published: May 27, 2022 01:16 pm