Amandla Stenberg might not have been a “die-hard nerd” for “Star Wars” before being cast in upcoming Disney+ series “The Acolyte,” but she is now using the franchise gig as an excuse to dive deep into the canon.
Like Stenberg’s “Obi-Wan Kenobi” franchise canon counterparts Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor, the “Bodies Bodies Bodies” actress has been binging all-things “Star Wars” to prepare for her lead role as a Sith in the mystery-thriller series about the final days of the High Republic era. “The Acolyte” is helmed by “Russian Doll” co-creator Leslye Headland.
“When I got this job, it became a license to completely lose myself into the ‘Star Wars’ universe and never reemerge! It’s been really fun for me,” Stenberg told “Euphoria” star and real-life pal Hunter Schafer during a cover story for The Cut.
Stenberg continued, “It’s so awesome. I get to think about the Force, and starships, and various species. I get to pore over every detail of the lore that already exists, which has been so fun because, also, ‘Star Wars,’ it’s a user-generated universe. So ‘Star Wars’ fans basically created ‘Star Wars.'”
Stenberg called the “Star Wars” universe “vast” and “thick,” with its expansion driven by fans.
“It’s this collaborative relationship between the fans and the universe itself to create this entire world,” Stenberg added. “So, yeah, I’m flipping out. It is such a delight to have to actually get paid to lose myself into a space universe for a long time.”
Stenberg previously confirmed her casting by captioning on Instagram at 2022 San Diego Comic Con: “Next stop: a galaxy far, far away….I am so excited to finally announce I’m joining Star Wars: #TheAcolyte! Honored is an understatement. May the Force be with you.”
And while she can’t answer whether or not she’ll be wielding a lightsaber in the series, Stenberg’s comments on “Star Wars” audiences comes on the heels of the controversial debates about toxic fandom – something with which Stenberg is now familiar with after responding to a viral direct message exchange regarding her cleavage in slasher “Bodies Bodies Bodies.”
“Obi-Wan Kenobi” actress Moses Ingram was warned by Lucasfilm about anticipated racist backlash in the franchise prior to receiving hate-filled social media messages. “I question my purposes even being here in front of you saying that this is happening,” Ingram said in an Instagram video earlier this year. “There’s nothing anybody can do to stop this hate.”
The official “Star Wars” Twitter page addressed the backlash, responding in part: “There are more than 20 million sentient species in the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy, don’t choose to be a racist.”
John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran formerly received racist fan harassment following their respective roles in the recent Skywalker trilogy, leading to Boyega having a “very honest, a very transparent conversation” with Disney executives to not sideline Black and POC characters in the franchise. Boyega later said he would never return to the franchise.
Simon Pegg who had a brief role in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” admitted that the “Star Wars” fanbase “really seems to be the most kind of toxic at the moment.”
He added, “[With] ‘Star Wars’ suddenly there’s a little bit more diversity, and everyone’s kicking off about it. And it’s really sad.”
For more details on all of the upcoming “Star Wars” series, click here.
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