The Acolyte Star Manny Jacinto on Leslye Headland, Lightsabers & More

Disney+, Lucasfilm & series creator Leslye Headland‘s (Russian Bride) Star Wars: The Acolyte had a pretty impressive rollout during this year’s Star Wars Celebration 2023. And now, series star Manny Jacinto (Nine Perfect Strangers) is sharing some additional insights into his mysterious character as well as why someone with Headland’s expertise was needed to tell this very different tale from the “Star Wars” universe. “He’s a citizen, he’s a guy within this galaxy who gets pulled into this larger mission within the High Republic and the Jedi. So, whether he likes it or not, he’s kinda in this world,” Jacinto revealed about who viewers will be meeting when the streaming series hits screens next year.

“My extent of playing with the lightsabers is stealing [Dafne Keen’s] or Charlie [Barnett’s] lightsabers and taking selfies in the locker room. So I don’t really get to do that much. But it’s cool watching them work and do their thing. I’m always in awe, especially with these guys getting to do that. So I think I’m jealous. I’ll talk to Leslye again, maybe do something next season,” Jacinto shared during an interview with Collider, revealing that he won’t be engaging in any lightsaber action – at least during this season. And with the series taking place during a very different era for the franchise, Jacinto sang the praises of “true fan” Headland’s ability to keep everything in order & in canon. “She is almost like an encyclopedia Star Wars — like, she cosplays, does the RPGs. She’s done a Ph.D. in Star Wars. So, when you watch the show, you’ll notice little Easter eggs, nods to The High Republic, even nods to the original trilogy,” Jacinto added. “You’ll see how we incorporate those in our show, and Leslye is the only person that can pull that off because she’s such a fan of the story.”

Disney+, Lucasfilm, and Headland’s The Acolyte stars Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give), Lee Jung Jae (Squid Game), Manny Jacinto (Nine Perfect Strangers), Dafne Keen (His Dark Materials), Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim), Rebecca Henderson (Inventing Anna), Charlie Barnett (Russian Doll), Dean-Charles Chapman (1917), Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix), Margarita Levieva (Revenge, The Deuce), Rebecca Henderson (Inventing Anna), and Chewbacca actor Joonas Suotamo as the Wookie Jedi Kel Naka. The mystery-thriller is set to take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated. Here’s a look at how things were going early on behind the scenes (with Headland also directing the series pilot):

Along with Headland, Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King, and Jason Micallef will executive produce (with Rayne Roberts and Damian Anderson set to produce). For more information on the High Republic and more about the “Star Wars” universe, head on over to the franchise’s main hub.