With The Acolyte expected to drastically alter the beloved franchise by departing from George Lucas’ original vision, fans of the film series have all the reason to be giddy with anticipation. The upcoming series will differ from all previous Star Wars stories, according to the showrunner, Leslye Headland. She also revealed that it will stray from one of Lucas’ central ideas regarding the ‘Force’.
A great deal of the Force’s mystery was maintained throughout the original Star Wars trilogy. Even so, a lot more is now understood about it than in the past, particularly with the introduction of midi-chlorians in The Phantom Menace. However, the idea offended some fans because they feel it takes away the Force’s mystical quality.
Despite this, Lucas continued to allude to the mysterious life forms on several occasions. For the unversed, tiny creatures known as midi-chlorians are responsible for assessing a being’s potential for Force power. An entity’s potential for power increases with the number of midi-chlorians it possesses.
Let’s Explore The Acolyte’s Departure from George Lucas’ Core Vision
According to showrunner Leslye Headland, The Acolyte will deviate from one of George Lucas’ core theories about the Force in order to fulfill its promise of being unlike any previous Star Wars story.
It is expected that the upcoming Disney Plus series will dramatically change the franchise in a variety of ways. By presenting the High Republic era in live-action, it is expected to alter the Star Wars timeline. However, it will also alter a much more fundamental aspect of the franchise: the way people understand the Force.
Headland stated in an interview with Total Film (per Screen Rant) that she and The Acolyte are approaching the definition of balance in the Force from different angles:
“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.”
George Lucas saw the dark side of the Force as the source of the Force’s imbalance in both the original and prequel trilogies. That belief is directly at odds with Headland’s interpretation of the Force’s balance since she stated in her quote that “there is no light without darkness”.
Dave Filoni’s Defense of Midi-Chlorians in Star Wars
For a lot of Star Wars enthusiasts, the term “midi-chlorians” is contemptuous. Midi-Chlorians, first introduced in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, were part of a character’s biological and genetic makeup that determined their affinity for and capacity to use the Force.
However, that term has mostly been ignored by most people ever since. It received a brief mention on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the first animated series show run by Dave Filoni—who is currently serving as the Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm. During his conversation with Comicbook, he discussed the Force and attempted to clarify the true nature of Mid-Chlorians and why they are not harmful:
“To me, when you talk about the Force, the Force is in everything that’s alive; that’s what Obi-Wan says originally. That’s true, even in the days of midi-chlorians, which everybody is afraid to talk about, but I’m not. What that tells you is – when I was a kid, I believed that everybody probably had the Force, and they just didn’t believe – midi-chlorians actually prove that theory out. We all have them, just to differing degrees.”
Midi-Chlorians are essentially a physical expression of a metaphysical idea, according to Filoni. He continued by explaining that the greatest Force users are those who possess both natural talent and the necessary discipline and training, much like the best musicians, athletes, or people in any other field that demands talent.
With a promise and a commitment to thrilling storytelling, The Acolyte is sure to win over deeply-rooted fans and bright-eyed newcomers.
The first two episodes of The Acolyte will premiere on Disney+ on June 4, 2024. The remaining six episodes will be released every week.
