Joonas Suotamo is set to join Leslye Headland's new Star Wars series, as announced at Star Wars Celebration Europe. Suotamo will be playing a Wookiee Jedi Master, something the actor is perhaps a little familiar with. The Acolyte is the newest Disney+ series in production, and it is also a series that we know the littlest about. Set during the late High Republic era, the series was originally pitched as a female-centric story with Headland more interested in engaging with the geography of the Star Wars universe, rather than existing visuals,
Amandla Sternberg was first attached to lead the production in December 2021, however Lucasfilm didn't confirm their casting until they were at SDCC this summer to promote A24's Bodies Bodies Bodies. During an interview with Collider at the convention, Perri Nemiroff was able to briefly talk to Sternberg about joining the franchise, and they shared their excitement about "adding to the lexicon and the lore very complex female characters."
In addition to Sternberg, Suotamo will be joining Squid Game's Emmy-winner Lee Jung-Jae who was cast in a lead role, Russian Doll alum Charlie Barnett, Manny Jacinto, and Jodie Smith-Turner who is still in talks to board the project. We may not know a lot about the series, but at least we know that Headland is seeking out talented and gorgeous performers. Suotamo is of course best known for taking over the role of Chewbacca from Peter Mayhew for the Star Wars sequel trilogy and Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Back in May when Collider spoke with Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy at Star Wars Celebration, the President seemed excited about the potential that lies within The Acolyte. When discussing the potential of exploring The High Republic more Kennedy said, "We actually were intrigued with that because if [The Acolyte] works, then it really gives us an opportunity to expand on that. And that's what's so great about television because it gives us sort of this larger playground for experimenting."
The Diversity of The High Republic
While series like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Andor have had diverse leads, and Obi-Wan Kenobi had a diverse ensemble cast, The Acolyte will not only have one of the most diverse casts, it will also break with tradition. With the exception of Ahsoka, which will star Rosario Dawson, the previous Disney+ series were all centered on their titular male characters. The High Republic publishing initiative has been focused on diverse representation, and it looks like the live-action venture into that era will as well.