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From the outset, The Acolyte has been associated with intense political and social messaging. Led by Leslie Hedin, a producer with dubious credentials—often described as Harvey Weinstein's former personal assistant—the series has been openly touted as a project where LGBTQ+ identity and intersectional feminism will take center stage. The casting of Amandla Stenberg, a non-binary actor who identifies as queer and Black, was heralded as a groundbreaking moment in Star Wars history, while the inclusion of the franchise’s first transgender actor further cemented the show's identity-politics-driven approach. Critics and fans alike have expressed skepticism, perceiving these moves as crass attempts at virtue signaling that prioritize identity politics over storytelling.