The Acolyte Trailer Brings A Murder Mystery To The Star Wars Universe

After several "Star Wars" Disney+ shows set between the beginning of the prequel trilogy and the end of the sequel trilogy, the franchise is taking a bold step back in time with "The Acolyte." Set in the later years of the High Republic, around 100 years before the events of "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace," this story finds the Jedi at the height of their power and the dark side of the Force seemingly banished to the deepest shadows. 

A new trailer for "Star Wars: The Acolyte" has been released in celebration of May the 4th, a.k.a. Star Wars Day. The series was created by Leslye Headland, who previously worked on the mystery series "Russian Doll" and "Poker Face." In a recent interview with Total Film, Headland said that "The Acolyte" is another mystery show — and one of the mysteries is," How do the villains come to think that they're right?" Star Lee Jung-jae also teased that his character "takes part in the investigation of a very mysterious crime."

The promise of a show that explores morally grey areas with characters who are not closely tied to the Skywalker saga sounds very promising if, like me, you love "Andor" the most out of all the "Star Wars" shows so far. Check out the new trailer for "The Acolyte" above, and read on for more details.

The "Star Wars" shows on Disney+ have collectively drawn an interesting comparison between the universe under Galactic Empire rule, and the New Republic rule that came after the original trilogy.

In "Andor," the Empire is initially only a distant background presence in the lives of workers on the mining planet Ferrix, not an ever-present oppressive threat to their lives. As Maarva Andor explains: "We had each other and they left us alone ... We took their money and ignored them, we kept their engine churning, and the moment they pulled away, we forgot them." Meanwhile, "The Mandalorian" has demonstrated that the New Republic is far from a utopia. From a street-level view, the differences between the two governments aren't all that visible.

"One of the key aspects of 'Star Wars' is the individual or underdog versus the institution," Headland told Total Film. "And if that reigning institution is the Jedi, no matter how benevolent they are, there will be people who disagree with them. So I was like, 'Well, who are these people?'"

The cast of "Star Wars: The Acolyte" includes Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss. Here's the official synopsis for the show, which premieres June 4, 2024, on Disney+.

In "Star Wars: The Acolyte," an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems...