Skip to main content

The Acolyte’s first trailer embraces the Dark Side of Star Wars

Amandla Stenberg as Mae in The Acolyte.
Lucasfilm

Since the launch of Disney+ in 2019, there have been four live-action Star Wars series, including The Mandalorian and Andor. But the one thing that each of those shows had in common was that they followed the hero of the story. This summer, The Acolyte is flipping the switch on that by putting the spotlight on Mae (Amandla Stenberg), a former Padawan in the Jedi Order who seems to have quite a grudge against her onetime masters. That may be why Mae is attacking and apparently killing Jedi with knives in the first trailer for The Acolyte.

The Acolyte | Official Trailer | Disney+

Squid Game‘s Lee Jung-jae is prominently featured in the trailer as Jedi Master Sol, the teacher of the younglings in the Jedi Temple. Presumably, the girl who sees fire in her visions is a younger version of Mae. The trailer doesn’t fully explain why Mae is on such a murderous rampage, but another character, Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith), suggests that it’s not about good or evil. It’s about power.

The Matrix‘s Carrie-Anne Moss makes her Star Wars debut as Jedi Master Indara, and she’s so skilled that Mae’s knife attacks can’t get close to her. However, the body count that Mae has apparently left in her wake suggests that not every Jedi has been as fortunate.

Dafne Keen as Jecki in The Acolyte.
Lucasfilm / Lucasfilm

She may be unrecognizable under all of that makeup, but the character pictured above, Jecki, is played by Dafne Keen, who previously starred in Logan and His Dark Materials. Jecki and her fellow young Jedi come across an even more serious threat at the end as the telltale red lightsaber suggests that a Sith member is attacking them. Whether Mae is the Sith in question remains to be seen.

The Acolyte will have a two-episode series premiere on Disney+ on June 4.

Editors' Recommendations

Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…
Max drops the first teaser trailer for The Batman’s spinoff, The Penguin
Colin Farrell in The Penguin.

Warner Bros. Discovery recently announced that The Batman – Part II has been delayed to 2026. But while the Bat is away, The Penguin will play. Colin Farrell is reprising his role as Oswald "Oz" Cobblepot from The Batman in an upcoming spinoff series from Max. The show reportedly takes place one week after the first film and in the shadow of the late crime boss, Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). Now, Oswald wants to be the new boss, and he's almost got a clear path to the throne in the first teaser trailer from The Penguin.

The Penguin | Official Teaser | Max

Read more
Star Wars could’ve had Christopher Walken as Han Solo and Jodie Foster as Princess Leia
An old man talks in Dune: Part Two.

The great thing about a hit movie is that you tend to find out things during interviews, premieres, and press conferences that would have never surfaced otherwise. Dune: Part Two is one such movie. In the lead-up to the movie's blockbuster opening weekend, we've discovered Josh Brolin's hidden talents as a poet and photographer, Javier Bardem's dedication to his children, Zendaya's love for the sci-fi classic Metropolis, and Austin Butler's appreciation for The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The most recent revelation, however, tops all of those. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Christopher Walken, who plays Shaddam IV, the film's fearsome Emperor, explains why he came out of a four-year break from acting in films and joined Dune: Part Two. One reason was due to his admiration for the first film, which cemented Denis Villeneuve's status as one of the best sci-fi directors ever, and his appreciation of the sequel's impressive cast, which also includes Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, and Dave Bautista.

Read more
What is Disney Plus: plans, price, and everything else you should know
Lenovo Tab Extreme showing Disney Plus.

Where can you watch all the latest Disney movies and shows, on top of the company’s trove of animated classics? The answer is Disney+, a content-packed streaming platform that includes close to a century’s worth of Disney shorts and features. You’ll also be able to indulge in movies and shows from Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Nat Geo, and 21st Century Fox.

How much does Disney+ cost? How do I create an account? And can I watch the Star Wars prequels on the service? We’ll answer all these questions and more in this everything-you-need-to-know Disney+ guide we’ve created. 

Read more