The Acolyte actress Amandla Stenberg recently asserted that the world of fantasy and science fiction has not been a safe space for people of color while promoting the upcoming Star Wars Disney+ series.
During an appearance on Entertainment Weekly’s Dagobah Dispatch that appears to have been recorded back in April at Star Wars Celebration, Stenberg alongside the series’ creator and showrunner Leslye Headland, and fellow actor Lee Jung-jae were asked, “What’s it like for all of you to watch this franchise go from A New Hope in 1977, you know, not exactly a bastion of diversity and inclusion to working with this cast now on The Acolyte?”
Stenberg responded first, saying, “Well, I think this day has been really exciting in general because you see the progress that Star Wars is making across the board in all of the streaming and all of the series.”
She continued, “I think that when it comes to the world of fantasy and sci-fi in general, it hasn’t felt like a safe space always for people of color. And it’s been a world that I’ve always deeply loved and been invested in.
“So to be in any way, shape, or form a part of the wave that is ushering in inclusion and safety for black nerds, it’s like my dream come true,” Stenberg concluded.
In contrast, Lee Jung-jae then responded through a translator, “Yes, so that’s right. Agree with Amandla. In Star Wars, back in the day I thought it was just a cool film full of surprises. Now, as an older person I realized the topics that they talk about are much deeper than what’s perceived.”
He continued, “And actually working on the project I understand more on the themes and topics that they talk about. And I really get to explore the emotions and I want to express the themes and the topics very well. So in portraying this I want to do it well.”
Lee then relayed, “On the first day of set I felt really excited going in, but day by day as we go deep into the shooting I have this responsibility that I really, really want to do this well and I focus and concentrate on how I can do this better. So it’s not just fun, but it’s still exciting.”
“And Amandla, the other cast members, and the director, we talk about how we can portray and relay the diverse emotions better and also talk about diversity. So all the feels, yes,” he concluded.
Stenberg’s comments regarding The Acolyte and Star Wars are not out of the ordinary. Jodie Turner-Smith, who is also featured in the series, claims Stenberg being the lead is ground breaking because she’s black.
During a panel appearance alongside her co-star Rebecca Henderson at Star Wars Celebration 2023, Turner-Smith said, “My character, you know, she’s a powerful leader. She’s a powerful leader in a very woman-centered world, which I was very excited to kind of be in that because I feel like Star Wars is very patriarchal.”
She continued, “So it was kind of cool to have this sort of woman-centered figure. And you know she’s really sort of going through a struggle because I mean that’s Star Wars, right? She’s really kind of like in this sort of quandary and that’s sort of her journey is to to kind of go through this struggle between two ideas.”
Speaking with ScreenRant at the event, Turner-Smith added, “We don’t ever really see these more like martiarchal energies.”
She then said, “I think we already kind of started to center women in this world with the latest movies, and we’re seeing it as well in a lot of the other TV shows too. But I think it’s often very much about a man’s journey. And this is less about that.”
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Turner-Smith then relayed, “We have a black lead. And that alone is so groundbreaking, and amazing, and encouraging, and exciting as a fan. And when it’s someone as talented as Amandla, as an actor that was very exciting. That’s made me wanna sign up for it because I respect her so much as an actor, and she’s talented.”
“You guys have no idea what’s coming,” she concluded.
Star Wars: The Acolyte’s official description from Lucasfilm states the series “will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era with the story of former Padawan who reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes but discovers the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.”
The series does not have a release date yet.
What do you make of Stenberg’s comments about Star Wars, fantasy, and science fiction?