One of the many upcoming Star Wars series that is currently on its way is The Acolyte which wrapped production recently. While the plot details are being kept under wraps, fans have been looking forward to seeing the first show that is set in the High Republic era.
Another notable aspect about the series is its diverse cast and its lack thereof was something that the franchise has been criticized for in the past and now Lucasfilm is trying to do efforts to make sure that its projects will have proper representation.
Now, it looks like the upcoming series will be taking more steps in terms of diversity and representation as it sounds like the franchise has cast its first ever transgender actor.
The Acolyte Will Feature the First Transgender Actor in the Star Wars Franchise
According to The Direct, British actress and YouTuber Abigail Thorn has joined the cast of The Acolyte. Her involvement in the series was revealed by the website of her agency United Agents.
She will reportedly play the role of Ensign Eurus, who is expected to be a non-minor character in the series. She is also the second transgender actor to be cast in a Lucasfilm project after Talisa Garcia in Willow.
While Thorn will not play one of the main characters in the series, it is still a major step nevertheless in terms of representation in the franchise and it sounds like she won't be playing a background character.
It is also worth noting that the show's lead star is Amanda Steinberg, who is a non-binary actor. The Rise of Skywalker also featured a same-sex kiss between two background characters near the end of the film.
However, this won't be the first time that the franchise has transgender characters as Terec and Ceret in the comics are trans non-binary Jedi and notably part of Marvel's The High Republic.
This is certainly a significant step for Lucasfilm and Disney in terms of trans representation on the screen and it does show that the Star Wars franchise is inclusive to everyone regardless of background, race, and identity.
Hopefully, this is not just simply a one-off small step and they certainly have more work to do besides doing it for the sake of checking all the boxes of inclusion and representation.
Also Read: The Mandalorian: Pedro Pascal Reveals Honest Reaction to Katee Sackhoff Leading Season 3
The Acolyte is slated to premiere on Disney+ in 2024. You can check more details about it here.