Manny Jacinto of The Good Place fame is the latest actor to join Disney+’s upcoming Star Wars series, The Acolyte, according to reports first cited by Variety. The spinoff series has been shrouded in mystery ever since its initial announcement in 2020. Since then, a gamut of names as of late have been added to the roster.
The Top Gun: Maverick star joins a cast that boasts Bodies Bodies Bodies actress Amandla Stenberg in the lead role. Earlier this month, it was announced that Jodie Turner-Smith (Anne Boleyn, Without Remorse) had joined the series as well. And just last week, history-making Emmy winner Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game, Hunt) was cast as the male lead. To date, no details have been shared about any of the characters. But based on the series description, fans can assume most of them will be playing characters from the darker side of the Force.
The Acolyte has been described as a mystery thriller preceding Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace by 100 years. According to TV Line, the series follows a potential apprentice to wielders of the Force who are aligned with the shadows. Leslye Headland (Russian Doll, About Last Night) is wearing three hats as the series’ showrunner, executive producer and writer. The series, which still has no official air date, is set to begin filming this fall.
The Acolyte is just one series in the Star Wars universe that will be coming to Disney+ in the near future. Next week the spy thriller, Andor, will premiere its first three episodes on Wednesday, September 21st. The series is set five years before the events of the film, Rogue One. Lucasfilm also debuted two new trailers during last week’s D23 Expo. First, an animated limited series entitled Tales of the Jedi set to premiere in October. And last, but definitely not least, the first teaser for the third season of The Mandalorian was revealed. Father and son return sometime early 2023.