Part 2/10:
From its inception, The Acolyte was shrouded in controversy. The series was heavily promoted by Leslie Headin, the showrunner, who openly linked her personal identity and political beliefs to the project. Back in July 2021, she openly stated that the series would reflect her "queer identity," positioning herself as the first openly queer person to create a major Star Wars project. This acknowledgment immediately suggested that the show would feature prominent LGBTQ themes, which many fans feared would come at the expense of storytelling quality.