The Acolyte is here, and there's been no shortage of discourse between Star Wars fans over the first two episodes. While critics were largely on board with the High Republic story, a growing number of people seem less impressed with what they watched so far, and are sharing such grievances online. To each his own, but one particular gripe has driven me to the point where I feel forced to give such naysayers a reminder about which franchise they're watching.

That said, I will be writing about a minor spoiler explaining the logistics behind a scene that ultimately has very little to do with the overall plot of The Acolyte. If you haven't seen the episodes yet with a Disney+ subscription and wish to remain completely unspoiled, proceed at your own risk!

Some Are Critical Of The Acolyte's Use Of Fire In Space

The Acolyte introduces viewers to Osha, a former Padawan now working as a "Meknek" in the Star Wars universe. In The High Republic, Mekneks are freelance humanoids who are hired by ships to do work on the outer hull. Typically, this is performed by Astromechs in Star Wars, and seemingly isn't a common job in the galaxy because of how dangerous it can be. Osha still does it, however, and she's shown putting out a fire spreading on the outside of a Neimoidian vessel. 

That moment, though insignificant to the overarching story, has become a "hot" topic online, with Star Wars Explained and others generating tons of responses by calling out the idea that flames are happening in the vacuum of space, which is an impossibility under the most realistic circumstances. Therefore, in the minds of some Star Wars fans, this moment doesn't make any sense, is a knock against the series as a whole, and is a sin The Acolyte cast should answer for. Sigh.

Star Wars Features Explosions And Non-Accurate Space Stuff All The Time

So many people are up in arms over this moment in The Acolyte, while seemingly ignoring that Star Wars literally features fireball explosions in space all the time. Sure, maybe not always a sustained fire as the one seen in The Acolyte, but still something that doesn't line up with what science has told us. Yet those moments aren't fueling the same kind of complaints.

In fact, there's a lot we see in Star Wars that isn't in line with what typically happens in the vacuum of real-life space. (And don't expect huge changes in upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.) For example, there are not enough atoms bouncing around to create sound, but George Lucas & Co. never shied away from the noise of lasers blasting and ships exploding.

Also, when Leia was in space, why didn't her lungs explode? And if the Millennium Falcon is truly the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy, why isn't NASA constructing one right now? Okay, I guess that one's not on the movies themselves.

The point I'm trying to make here is we could continue to nitpick Star Wars projects for not being scientifically accurate and never get anywhere positive, or we could acknowledge that the universe's rules for space were never rooted in hard science in the first place. This is why writers for the franchise don't know how fast hyperspace is, or why it always seems that the only time Wookiees speak are when there's at least one English-speaking creature around to translate.

Star Wars fans are allowed to like or dislike The Acolyte, but such opinions probably shouldn't harbor on scientific justifactions within a universe that never adhered to those rules. I think it's fine for there to be a crowd critical of the series for plot reasons, such as the idea that the Jedi are too powerful, and I guess I'm also good with everything who loves the Disney+ series for Yord alone. In any case, I don't think the backlash is so great it'll impact the show, possibly getting future seasons. 

Catch new episodes of The Acolyte on Disney+ on Tuesdays. I'm looking forward to seeing more of The High Republic era in Star Wars and maybe some characters that could get their own stories somewhere down the line. 

When you have a character with a rhymable name like Yord, it’s no wonder that hashtag was started. #YordHorde has quickly spread across X (formerly known as Twitter), with our first post channeling a popular NBC show as its punny contribution to the new meme craze.

Of course, if you have a fanbase name like the Yord Horde, it’s important to make sure one has the proper identification to enter the clubhouse.

Going back to pun territory, Yord’s name also easily lends itself to him being a member of an extremely-exclusive group of Dark Side users.

This next meme makes fun of the nit-picky criticism that The Acolyte has already received, namely about how the first episode showed a starship catching fire in space (not the first time this has happened in a Star Wars project) and how Amandla Stenberg’s Mae was able to kill a Jedi (no spoilers here on who it was) with her knives.

It's amusing to see someone meld Yord and Yoda together for the below meme (side note, I’m hoping that the latter eventually appears on The Acolyte given that he’s active during the High Republic era).

Finally, here’s one more pun to take us home, this one throwing us over to the Shrek franchise, which is always a good source for meme material.

Star Wars fans may be having fun with Yord Fandar, but Charlie Barnett’s character is certainly not one for comedy like this, as he takes his Jedi duties very seriously and so far has demonstrated himself as a rule follower who’s not able to think outside the box. Yord is also the third person to wield a yellow lightsaber in a TV/film setting, followed by Daisy Ridley’s Rey igniting her own at the end of The Rise of Skywalker and Asajj Ventress using two of them in The Bad Batch Season 3. Barnett and Stenberg are joined in The Acolyte cast by Lee Jung-jae, Dafne Keen, Manny Jacinto and Rebecca Henderson, to name a few.

New episodes of The Acolyte, which was created by Leslye Headland, drop Tuesdays at 9 pm ET on Disney+. Keep visiting CinemaBlend for more coverage on the series and the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows, and if you’re on X, don’t stop looking for #YordHorde memes, because they’re excellent.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Kiner about his work on Ahsoka, which, just like with The Bad Batch, Tales of the Jedi and Tales on the Empire (all of which are viewable with a Disney+ subscription), he tackled with his children, Sean and Deana. In the middle of our conversation, I mentioned that I read Dave Filoni didn’t want to do a straightforward full rendition of Thrawn’s theme when he was brought into Ahsoka, so the Kiners instead to a slowed-down approach with the music. That left me curious about if there were any other musical challenges that they ran into with properly representing Thrawn, and Kevin Kiner answered:

Thrawn’s soft-spoken demeanor does indeed make him stand out from Darth Vader, as the former relies on strategy, tactics and study of culture to defeat his enemies rather than brute force (you can compare their differing styles in the book Thrawn: Alliances). However, because Thrawn rarely raises his voice, Kevin Kiner has had to make sure the music he composes for scenes featuring the character doesn’t drown out his voice, and this has stretched all the way back to Star Wars Rebels. Plus, like he mentioned, that music that needs to hit the right balance also needs to properly convey the kind of mood you expect from a Thrawn scene.

Listen to Ahsoka’s rendition of Grand Admiral Thrawn’s theme below, which is found on Part 2 of the Disney+ show’s soundtrack, covering Episodes 5-8.

The end of Ahsoka Season 1 saw Thrawn and the Great Mothers arriving on Dathomir, and with Ahsoka Season 2 officially on the way, fans can look forward to seeing both what the blue-skinned antagonist is plotting next and hear more of Kevin Kiner’s music. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for news on how the next season is progressing amongst the other updates concerning upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for The Acolyte's first two episodes. Watch them now with a Disney+ subscription, or read on at your own risk!

Highly anticipated show The Acolyte is live on Disney+ and, for many Star Wars fans, it's likely their first time getting a look at The High Republic era. There's a lot that sets  this time in the fictional universe apart from what's been seen before, including the Jedi. Some might assume the wild powers showcased in the first two episodes are just a sign of the creative team showing what it can do with SFX. However, there's a reason why we're seeing some of the most powerful Jedi ever to be featured in a live-action production.

Anyone thinking it doesn't make sense that the fascinating new characters in The Acolyte are performing feats we never saw Anakin or Luke Skywalker do should pump the brakes. There are a couple of reasons why we're seeing Jedi read minds, create impenetrable force fields and hold people in place for long periods of time. And it all goes back to what's been divulged about The High Republic thus far in the novels and comic books.  

The Jedi Of The High Republic Worked With Other Force-Sensitive Groups

One important factor for readers to understand is that The High Republic was a relative time of peace, during which the Jedi Order was allowed and able to flourish. There were conflicts, but the Light Side of The Force was so overwhelmingly strong that the Jedi were able to dedicate more time to training, and even learn from other Force-Sensitive groups. 

As time went on, the Order became more closed off, and with that came less interaction or exchanges of secrets with other Force-Sensitive organizations. As such, the Jedi limited themselves when it came to the knowledge they could obtain about the Force. So, because they cut those ties, Jedi seen in the prequel trilogy don't have that knowledge and as a result, are unable to use some of the wild abilities seen in The Acolyte.

The Jedi Had Next To Zero Political Oversight And Operated Independently

Much like how embracing the Dark Side makes someone more in sync with it, the same is true of the Light Side. During The High Republic, the Jedi were in complete control of their own order and had the trust of the galaxy to operate autonomously and serve as its protectors. This means they were able to do what is most in line with the Light Side at all times, which made them much more in tune with it and powerful as a result. 

In the prequel era, the Jedi Order was bogged down by politics and as such, was forced to compromise its beliefs and work for the "greater good" than "absolute good." In the time beyond that, Jedi were forced into hiding and were not able to safely train, leaving them to merely witness many injustices at the luxury of remaining in hiding. The argument could be made that Jedi of the latter era were more skilled fighters but, without question, they were largely weaker in the Force. As such, it's no surprise that Yoda was ultimately the most powerful Jedi of the movies, given that he was alive amid The High Republic era. (And, before anyone asks, Yoda will not appear in The Acolyte.)

What Else Might Fans See Jedi Do In The Acolyte?

As far as what other feats the Jedi may perform during the show's run, I would wager we could see even more impressive acts than those present in the first two episodes. In the book The Light Of The Jedi, for example, Master Avar Kriss guides several Jedi through a space battle telepathically. Later, she and Master Elzar Mann use their combined abilities to create rain clouds, which then shower some overheated droids and allow them to keep working. It's one of the many elements from The High Republic I'd love to see in a TV series, so I hope The Acolyte delivers some of those Jedi-centric elements.

Catch new episodes of The Acolyte on Disney+ on Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET as part of the 2024 TV schedule. I'm sold after just two episodes and already believe this may become my favorite Star Wars series. 

The next of the upcoming Star Wars TV shows is almost here, with The Acolyte exploring the end of the High Republic era, i.e. roughly 100 years before The Phantom Menace. Leading The Acolyte’s cast is The Hunger Games’ Amandla Stenberg, who’s playing Force-sensitive twins Osha and Mae. Ahead of the show’s premiere to Disney+ subscription holders, Stenberg got a congratulatory message from Hayden Christensen, and her reaction to it is so sweet.

Christensen, of course, played Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, with the latter marking the character’s transformation into Darth Vader. Yet while his character ultimately embraced the Dark Side from that point forward until saving Luke Skywalker shortly before his death, Christensen gave off nothing but Light Side vibes with his message to Stenberg shared on Instagram and other social media platforms, as seen below:

Although Hayden Christensen’s initial Star Wars tenure ended nearly 20 years ago (let’s also not forget he took Sebastian Shaw’s place as Anakin’s Force Ghost at the end of Return of the Jedi), like Amandla Stenberg, he’s been looped into the Disney era of this franchise set in a galaxy far, far away. In addition to making a vocal cameo in The Rise of Skywalker, he starred as Anakin/Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Season 1. Now he’s passed along the following kind words to Amandla Stenberg right before the public gets to see The Acolyte:

Initially Stenberg paused the video because she was surprised in the best way to see Christensen on screen, and after the video was over, she admitted she was “shaking” and couldn’t believe that the Star Wars folks had arranged this message for her. She then responded:

Amandla Stenberg’s costars on The Acolyte include Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Daphne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Jones Suotamo and Carrie-Anne Moss. The series follows Jung-jae’s character, Jedi Master Sol, investigating a series of crimes that will see him crossing paths again with Osha, was his apprentice before leaving the Jedi Order. Russian Doll’s Leslye Headland developed the show.

The Acolyte’s first two episodes premiere tomorrow on Disney+, and remember to stay on the Mouse House’s streaming platform if you’d also like to watch all of the Star Wars movies in order and other tie-in TV shows. After The Acolyte’s run, Skeleton Crew will follow sometime later this year.

Come with us as we go through the history of Hollywood and break down 32 movies with disastrous productions that have since become the stuff of legend. And while we will be avoiding spoilers, some details are not for the faint of heart.

Twilight Zone: The Movie (1982)

Arguably the most infamous disastrous production, Twilight Zone: The Movie is mostly remembered for the on-set deaths of Vic Morrow and child actors Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen, who were all killed in a freak accident involving a helicopter. Slate would later write extensively about the accident, what led to it, and how the segment’s director, John Landis, dealt with the ramifications.

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Though known as one of the best war movies ever made, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam War epic is more times than not remembered for being one of the most intense, grueling, and disastrous productions. An overweight and ill-prepared Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen’s heart attack, and several other issues have since been well-documented in documentaries like Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse.

The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)

The Island of Dr. Moreau is one of those movies that so many people wanted to work on, but it just wasn’t in the cards. The early dismissal of original director Richard Stanley (he was replaced by John Frankenheimer less than a week into shooting), Marlon Brando’s odd behavior, and Val Kilmer stepping in when Bruce Willis left shortly before production began all contributed to the madness on set.

Rust (Unreleased)

Who knows if the world will ever get to see Rust, as Joel Souza’s Western film has been wrapped up in all kinds of investigations, criminal trials, and litigation ever since a freak accident on set claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021. According to the Los Angeles Times, star Alec Baldwin was practicing a shooting scene when his gun fired a live round, killing Hutchins and injuring Souza. Production has been suspended ever since.

Fitzcarraldo (1982)

Werner Herzog’s 1982 epic Fitzcarraldo tells the story of Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald (Klaus Kinski) as he attempts to transport a steamship through rivers and over a steep hill to find his fame and fortune. Herzog, not one to take the easy way out, decided that he and his crew would drag an actual 320-ton ship up a hill, as seen in the must-watch Les Blank documentary, Burden of Dreams. 

The Shining (1980)

In addition to having some great improvised movie moments, Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining also has a reputation for being a movie where the tyrannical director pushed and pushed and pushed his cast to their breaking point. Kubrick’s primary target, Shelley Duvall, had an especially hard time on set, according to The Mirror, and was left in poor health because of the intense and chaotic shoot.

Jaws (1975)

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 summer blockbuster, Jaws, had everything you’d want in a big movie: legendary acting performances, an all-time great John Williams score, and one of the scariest monsters captured on screen. As the director remembered in Spielberg: The First Ten Years (via Vanity Fair), a boat began to sink with the actors (and sound equipment) aboard, the shark didn’t work half the time, and the whole project went over budget. Still, it’s one of the greatest of all time.

Back To The Future (1984)

Back to the Future is remembered today as one of the best ‘80s movies and an iconic sci-fi flick that helped turn Michael J. Fox into the biggest actor on the planet. But before the Family Ties star came into the picture and brought Marty McFly to life, Eric Stoltz was famously cast and then fired weeks into the production. Though all of the McFly scenes were reshot, there’s still a single shot of Stoltz in the final cut. 

The Revenant (2015)

The Revenant, which earned Leonardo DiCaprio his first Oscar, experienced one of the most grueling and difficult productions in recent memory. Director Alejandro G. Inarritu insisted on shooting the film in order, which caused a myriad of issues along the way, including going over budget by the tune of $7 million, subjecting the cast and crew to extreme weather conditions, and having to move everything to a different continent to find cold enough weather.

The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

The Wizard of Oz is a movie that should get its own biographical drama series because so much drama happened on the set of the landmark 1939 film. From the production using asbestos to make fake snow to the alleged abuse and harassment on set to recastings and new directors, a lot went wrong in the process of making one of the most influential films of all time.

Star Wars (1977)

Star Wars (later retitled Episode IV – A New Hope) launched one of the biggest franchises of all time back in May 1977, but it wasn’t all peas and carrots on the set of the game-changing sci-fi epic. George Lucas and company battled all kinds of issues during the disastrous production including shooting in the deserts of Tunisia and Death Valley, budget problems, and droids that just wouldn’t work led to a series of headaches for all involved parties.

Cleopatra (1963)

Described by the A.V. Club as both an unmitigated disaster and runaway smash hit, Cleopatra is one of the most well-known movies of all time. Production of the epic starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton was stalled by unexploded World War II landmines, medical emergencies, and a ballooning budget.

Waterworld (1995)

A bad movie with a great plot, Kevin Costner’s Waterworld has a reputation for being one of the worst and most expensive box office failures of the ‘90s. According to Yahoo! Entertainment, Costner’s choice to ignore Steven Spielberg’s advice about shooting on open water was largely to blame for the movie’s massive budget and a plethora of issues experienced by the cast and crew on the set.

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

On top of being a wildly inaccurate biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody is also a film that was marred by on-set issues. A lot of the issues were connected to original director Bryan Singer, who was fired partway through production after numerous run-ins with the cast and outbursts on set. But the problems didn’t stop there, as the screenwriter later sued the film’s producers.

Titanic (1997)

James Cameron’s Titanic is one of the biggest movies of all time, as well as one that experienced one of the strangest incidents during production. As later covered by outlets like Variety, someone spiked the cast and crew’s clam chowder with PCP, which resulted in dozens of people flooding a local hospital suffering from all kinds of psychedelic and physical effects.

Blade Runner (1982)

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner is a top-tier sci-fi classic, but the director’s techno-noir film wasn’t without its fair share of incidents. From rewrites to missing deadlines to an insistence on adding narration by Harrison Ford, there was a lot that went wrong before the movie hit the big screen.

Heaven's Gate (1980)

Heaven’s Gate, the 1980 Michael Cimino movie and not the cult from the ‘90s, is often regarded as one of the worst and most disastrous movies of all time. Released a few years after Cimino’s iconic The Deer Hunter, the Western epic ended up coming in $30+ million over budget, many days late, and according to IndieWire, was so bad United Artists decided to shelve the film not long into its run.

The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)

The Bridge on the River Kwai, Davide Lean’s 1957 war epic is often regarded as one of the best World War II films, but it too, had its share of production issues. Among them were problems director David Lean had with the British actors and the botched filming of the iconic bridge explosion caused by a cameraman not getting out of the way in time.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Regarded as one of the best action movies of all time, Mad Max: Fury Road took the genre to new heights with its story about Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) and Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron). However, as reported by Vanity Fair, the two stars hated one another, which made things difficult on set.

Tombstone (1993)

One of the best Westerns ever made, Tombstone is one of those movies you just have to watch whenever it's on TV. But we’re lucky the movie was even made, as its production was the stuff of nightmares (at least for Hollywood). Kevin Jarre, the screenwriter and original director, was fired early in production and there have long been rumors that star Kurt Russell was his replacement, not George P. Cosmatos, who’s credited as the director.

The Crow (1994)

The Crow, which would go on to become one of the biggest cult classics of the ‘90s, will forever be known as the movie in which star Brandon Lee was tragically shot and killed during production. 

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, was long believed to be a movie that would never see the light of day. Over the course of nearly 30 years, multiple attempts, and countless casting replacements, Gilliam finally released the movie in 2018

Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

One of the most shocking movies of all time, Cannibal Holocaust has become a rite of passage in some circles due to its gratuitous violence and pure depravity. The found footage horror film, which features the decapitations of animals among other things, ended up getting its director, Ruggero Deodato, sent to court after people thought it was a real documentary.

Sorcerer (1977)

Riding high on the success of The French Connection and The Exorcist, William Friedkin took on one of his most ambitious projects: Sorcerer. The box office dud is mostly remembered all these years later for being the movie that sent at least 50 crew members to the hospital with ailments like gangrene and malaria, per Collider.

The Abyss (1989)

Though not the best James Cameron movie, The Abyss is still a great addition to the sci-fi genre and a wonderful alien movie. But know what wasn’t great? The film’s production. Cameron pushed things way too far for the cast, crew, and himself to the dangerous limits throughout the shoot, and, according to SyFy, he almost died on set.

Deliverance (1972)

Few movies capture a sense of dread and danger better than Deliverance, and it sounds like what happened behind the scenes was just as terrifying as anything featured in the 1972 thriller. Between Jon Voight almost dying performing a stunt, fistfights on set, and run-ins with the locals, a lot went wrong.

Alien 3 (1992)

David Fincher is one of the best directors in Hollywood, but the man behind Seven, Fight Club, and The Social Network had a bad start in the business thanks to the disastrous Alien 3. Fincher has been vocal about the production woes in the past, which could be attributed to a revolving door of creatives and a studio not knowing what it wanted.

World War Z (2013)

Have you ever watched World War Z and wondered why the final act of the 2013 Brad Pitt zombie movie feels like it has nothing in common with everything that led to that point? Well, that’s because the final third of the movie was completely rewritten and reshot.

Roar (1981)

Watch the Roar trailer and it shouldn’t take long to figure out why this 1981 cult classic is on the list. During the production of this wild creature feature, 70 crew members were injured by real-life lions, with some getting gangrene and puncture wounds.

American History X (1998)

It wasn’t so much the production of American History X that was the disaster as it was the post-production work. According to The Independent, director Tony Kaye, who was upset with New Line Cinema for making him recut and lengthen the film, ended up punching a wall and breaking his hand during the editing before going on a crusade to bad-mouth his film and having his name removed from the credits.

Tootsie (1982)

Going off an excerpt from David McGiffert’s The Best Seat in the House (via The Wrap), it sounds like Dustin Hoffman was just as difficult to work with as his character in Tootsie. In his book, the assistant director goes into great detail about the confrontations between Hoffman and director Sydney Pollack, which really adds to their characters’ scenes together.

Suicide Squad (2016)

Before all the Justice League brouhaha in the years that followed, the DCEU gave the world Suicide Squad, a movie pieced together by so many different parties it’s unnecessarily complex and hard to follow. Years later, director David Ayer still gets crap for the movie.

Some of these movies are cinematic masterpieces, while others have been largely forgotten to the sands of time. However, they all have something in common: they all had disastrous productions.

One of the things that makes the upcoming Star Wars series The Acolyte so fresh and exciting is the fact that it’s set in a previously unexplored time period. The story takes place roughly 100 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. And while director James Mangold has said that he’d also like to use his planned movie to explore a point that’s very early on the imaginary Star Wars timeline, The Acolyte breaks new ground with regard to live-action interpretation of what’s known as the High Republic era. The Jedi are flourishing. The Empire isn’t yet a thing. And this means that one OG character – Master Yoda – could be somewhere in the action. 

As far as we know, Yoda would be the only character from the original Star Wars movies that could be alive in this time period. Per the information Website Wookiepedia:

There are mentions of the Jedi High Council throughout The Acolyte, with key characters from the show serving on the political body. But when we interviewed cast members and asked if Yoda would be part of The Acolyte as the story unfolded, we were told by Rebecca Henderson: 

Henderson would know. She plays the highly respected Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh on The Acolyte, a Star Wars show that’s already receiving proper raves from those who have seen the first few episodes. And as I mentioned, a big part of the reason why I appreciated the story being told in The Acolyte is that it didn’t pack a burden of having to connect to existing Star Wars stories, as is often the case (see Andor, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan Kenobi as recent examples). Branching off into new territories might also help Star Wars: Skeleton Crew when we finally see it. But have no fear, dedicated Star Wars fans, as The Mandalorian is getting his own movie, as will Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker. 

So, you won’t see Yoda in Season 1 of The Acolyte, but there are plenty of other reasons why you need to tune into the show once it begins streaming on Disney+ beginning Tuesday, June 4. 

Never say never, especially in Hollywood. Most times that an actor, writer or director claims they will not return to a role or a franchise, we count down the months (or years) until they are back. The latest example happens to be Hugh Jackman, who hung up his Wolverine claws in the 2017 sendoff drama Logan, but was convinced to step back into the suit for the upcoming Marvel movie Deadpool and Wolverine, arriving on July 26. Apparently, though, Jackman very much was saying “never again” while on the Logan set… at least, according to his co-star, Dafne Keen. 

In the neo-modern Western superhero film Logan, Dafne Keen plays X23, a mutant with similar powers to Wolverine who gets caught up in his final adventure. Keen is shifting focus from Marvel to Star Wars this month, joining The Acolyte as a Jedi Padawan named Jecki Lon. And while speaking with CinemaBlend about the upcoming season, available to anyone with a Disney+ subscription, Keen mentioned how she felt seeing Hugh Jackman back in the role of Wolverine. Said Keen:

Some might argue that Dafne Keen not only will be in the cinema, she might be in the movie. That’s a prevalent rumor, and I can easily see it. Deadpool and Wolverine is rumored to be chock full of cameos from characters in the Fox universe. Set photos captured the potential appearance of a classic Wolverine villain. And the trailer that Dafne Keen mentioned (shared below) has more than a few recognizable cameos in it. Not X23… at least, not yet.

Ultimately, though, Dafne Keen’s reaction mirrors our own, in that I think we were all more than a little surprised that Hugh Jackman, now 55, slipped on the Wolverine claws once again and decided to play alongside Ryan Reynolds in the actor’s first official MCU movie. It’s expected that this movie is going to bridge the gap between the mutant movies of the former 20th Century Fox and the plans that Marvel Studios has for the CX-Men moving forward. Maybe that includes Dafne Keen and her X23, but if not, she also has The Acolyte on her resume, and could stay busy in the Star Wars universe for years to come.

As Daisy Ridley’s latest movie, Young Woman And The Sea, is set to hit theaters this weekend, the actress celebrated the film by attending the London premiere. While walking the red carpet for the glamorous event, she wore a gorgeous dress fit for the Dark Side, and it’s just too good!

After strutting a baby blue gown at the world premiere one week ago, Daisy Ridley did a 180 when it comes to fashion choices by rocking a black leather dress and slicked-back hair. Check it:

It’s giving Dark Rey vibes! Daisy Ridley’s London premiere dress has a deep neckline, puffed sleeves and a corseted middle tied up with a belt buckle. She styled the bold dress, which is a custom Atsuko Kudo, with pointed white high heels. She also wore light blue earrings, black winged eyeliner and her hair super slicked back. If she wasn’t best known for the Star Wars movies, we might liken the look to The Matrix as well!

Young Woman and the Sea is the latest of the upcoming Disney movies on the 2024 release calendar, as it hits theaters this Friday, May 31. The movie has Ridley portraying Gertrude “Trudy” Ederle, who became the first woman to swim the 21 miles across the English Channel back in 1926. Prior to the accomplishment, the American competitive swimmer won a gold medal during the 1924 Summer Olympics while competing as part of the U.S. team in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay.

The new movie was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, who had been trying to adapt the non-fiction book of the same name since he acquired the rights in 2015. Cinderella’s Lily James was initially attached to the role, but Daisy Ridley ended up taking the helm and playing the famous figure instead. You can check out the Young Woman and the Sea trailer below:

Following the release of the biopic, Daisy Ridley is set to reprise her role of Rey Skywalker in a spinoff focused on the character that is currently in the works. According to the actress’ previous update in April, she has seen a script for her next Star Wars movie, and production will soon be underway on the flick.

Ridley said goodbye to the Star Wars franchise back in 2019 when Rise Of Skywalker hit theaters. As the actress recently told ReelBlend co-host Jake Hamilton, she went through a “mourning period” around finishing the franchise and is looking forward to playing her iconic character again. According to reports, the movie will take place 15 years after the events of the Sequel Trilogy as Rey tries to “rebuild the Jedi Order.”

As we get ready to see her in Young Woman and the Sea, Daisy Ridley absolutely slayed this leather look!

The Star Wars franchise (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription) is always expanding, both in movies and via live-action shows. The Acolyte is in the latter category, and will explore a different part of the official timeline. While speaking with Deadline about the property, she addressed the way The Acolyte's showrunner Leslye Headland and other women have been treated online by the fandom. In her words: 

There you have it. Sounds like those working in Lucasfilm have seen very aware of the fan discourse surrounding the property. And they've taken notice that the women involved in the franchise, especially The Acolyte's showrunner, often take the brunt of the hate online. 

The conversation surrounding Star Wars fans has been happening for a few years now. Rose Tico actress Kelly Marie Tran faced racist and sexist backlash when she debuted in The Last Jedi, resulting in her leaving social media altogether. And while the new upcoming Star Wars show hasn't debuted yet, there's already critics calling it "woke" for having women both behind and in front of the camera. 

This type of fan passion is why Star Wars has such staying power, but it can also be a bit of a double-edged sword for those making projects come together. And despite any backlash about the franchise being "woke", Kathleen Kennedy is committed to making sure that the galaxy far, far away continues to be a diverse place that reflects the real world. 

While the franchise keeps growing on the small screen, fans are eager to see Star Wars return to theaters. A new trilogy was announced by Lucasfilm, and there are also other projects in the works by Patty Jenkins and Taika Waititi. We'll just have to see how the audience reacts to each new projects, and if this online vitriol is still being aimed at the women of the franchise.

The Acolyte will arrive on Disney+ on June 4th. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.