'Star Wars: The Acolyte' Gets Surprising Disney+ Release Date

A mysterious new addition to the galaxy far, far away is making its way to Disney+, and according to a recent update, it sounds like it’s arriving sooner than expected.

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Ever since the first trailer debuted at Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023, hype has only continued to build for Lucasfilm’s next live-action Disney+ series, Star Wars: The Acolyte. Helmed by showrunner Leslye Headland, the TV show will take place 50 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) and is set in the relatively unexplored High Republic era.

Amandla Stenberg will lead the cast alongside Lee Jung-jae, as well as Joonas Suotamo, who took over the role of Chewbacca from Peter Mayhew in the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy. Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson), a fan-favorite character from The High Republic books, will also feature in the series, promising some long-delayed fan service for readers. Jodie Turner-Smith, Manny Jacinto, and Carrie-Anne Moss also star.

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While plot details remain scarce, The Acolyte supposedly follows a “former Jedi Padawan and her one-time Master as they fall into an investigation of sinister crimes in an ever-changing galaxy.” Filming wrapped on the first season back in June 2023, though its streaming release remained unclear — until now.

Those looking forward to The Acolyte will be pleased to know that the wait is almost over, as a recent update from Headland herself revealed that episodes will begin rolling out sooner than some may have expected. Per Collider, the series is set to release on Disney+ this summer, coinciding with rumors that the show was planned for a mid-2024 release. Still, given that the show and its progress have received little word from Lucasfilm, hearing it’s arriving in mere months comes as somewhat of a surprise.

Again, a specific release date remains unknown, but if Ahsoka Season 1 and Andor Season 1’s summer premieres are anything to go by, we can likely expect to see The Acolyte arrive on Disney’s streamer in August. Of course, this remains pure speculation, but this seems to be a preferred release window for Lucasfilm, who are most certainly hoping to get eyes on what’s shaping up to be their most ambitious Star Wars project to date.

It’s worth noting that reception to the Acolyte footage that was aired during April’s Celebration seems to have impressed attendees, with many taking to social media to praise its bold take on George Lucas’ beloved sci-fi universe. With such a stacked ensemble and strong connections to the High Republic era, it’s no wonder that the teaser garnered some seriously high praise — though only time will tell if the show itself will follow suit.

Lucasfilm certainly has its fair share of projects in the pipeline, with the third and final season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch set to hit Disney+ this month. The Jude Law-fronted Skeleton Crew, Andor Season 2, Ahsoka Season 2, and a possible fourth season of The Mandalorian are also in the works, as well as Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s untitled Rey (Daisy Ridley) movie, James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi project, and Dave Filoni’s “Mando-Verse” crossover event, among others.

Adding The Acolyte to its roster might prove to be a risky move for Disney+ and Lucasfilm, as Headland has ruffled feathers in the Star Wars community due to some controversial remarks she made about George Lucas.

Behind the scenes, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy also runs the risk of overdoing it — a similar issue Marvel Studios experienced that led Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger to confirm a reduction of MCU movies and TV shows. Considering that The Acolyte, The Bad Batch Season 3, Tales of the Jedi Season 2, Skeleton Crew, and more Young Jedi Adventures are all expected to premiere in 2024, more casual viewers might be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of new Star Wars content coming to Disney+.

Hopefully, that isn’t the case, as The Acolyte is shaping up to be one of the most exciting Star Wars projects we’ve seen in quite some time. Exploring a new point on the official timeline will provide some much-needed intrigue into the broader Star Wars universe beyond the Skywalker Saga and might even set up some familiar plotlines from the Prequel Trilogy, which could usher in a whole new generation of fans.

For now, however, audiences can expect to see The Acolyte premiere on Disney+ in Summer 2024.

Are you looking forward to The Acolyte? Let us know in the comments below!