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In an interview with TheWrap, The Acolyte star Amandla Stenberg and series creator Leslye Headland delved into why their show might just be the “gayest” Star Wars instalment yet. The conversation started with Drew Taylor’s comment that The Acolyte seems markedly more LGBTQ+ focused than previous entries, which led to a discussion about the inherent queerness already present within the Star Wars universe.
The Acolyte star Amandla Stenberg shared a lighthearted take on the Star Wars universe’s inclusivity, noting, “I think that Star Wars is so gay already. I mean have you seen the ‘fits? We’d be like ‘Look how gay this is’ and send each other reference photos.” This comment came during a discussion highlighting how Star Wars has embraced diverse expressions of identity through its wardrobe and characters.
During the same interview, series creator Leslye Headland humorously inquired whether anyone could seriously claim that C-3PO is straight, which led to Taylor jokingly asserting, “They’re a couple. That’s what I think.” Headland responded by playfully joking that R2-D2 is a lesbian.
The Acolyte‘s tag as “the gayest Star Wars yet” baffled Headland, who, along with Stenberg, clarified the series’ broader appeal and inherent inclusivity. “No, I don’t think so,” Headland remarked when asked about the label, adding she was “into it,” prompting laughter from Stenberg.
This isn’t Headland’s first foray into weaving LGBTQ+ themes into her work. At the 2023 Star Wars Celebration, she mentioned that The Acolyte would be “coded queer”, similar to how she felt about Frozen. She shared, “When I saw Frozen as a grown woman, I cried through the entire movie. There was just something about the relationship between the sisters, the like devillainisation of the classic kind of fairy tale ‘bad guy,’ you know, the concept of true love being between two sisters and not a heterosexual relationship. It just destroyed me, completely.”
She expressed a desire to create content that resonated with queer audiences, reflecting on how such narratives could have positively impacted her youth. Headland affirmed her commitment to representation in 2021 during an interview with The Advocate, stating, “There’s just no way that me being a queer woman is not going to be reflected in my work.”
The Acolyte stars Lee Jung-jae as Jedi Master Sol, who, alongside his former Padawan (played by Stenberg), unravels a series of crimes. The series boasts a diverse cast including Charlie Barnett, Dafne Keen, Rebecca Henderson, Jodie Turner-Smith, Carrie-Anne Moss, Manny Jacinto, Dean-Charles Chapman, and Joonas Suotamo.
New episodes of The Acolyte are available weekly on Disney+.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, games, and comics — you name it. When she’s not reading or geeking out about the latest shows on Netflix, she’s probably playing Honkai: Star Rail, cosplaying, or daydreaming of meeting her idols.
Trinity Sun
