Did George Lucas Miss a Trick with the Expanded Universe? Leslye Headland Thinks So

Leslye Headland’s series, The Acolyte, has made some bold moves by bringing elements of the Star Wars Expanded Universe into the official canon. Despite George Lucas’s opinion that these stories were not part of the true Star Wars lore, Headland has given these underrated tales the acknowledgment we’ve long felt they deserved.

George Lucas started the Star Wars saga with the 1977 film, later renamed Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. This film kicked off a series that grew to include sequels, prequels, and various spin-offs. When Lucas wasn’t producing new films, the Expanded Universe—comprising novels and games—kept fans engaged. However, Lucas was clear about his views, telling Starlog magazine, ‘I don’t read that stuff, I haven’t read any of the novels. I don’t know anything about that world. That’s a different world than my world.’ He saw these stories as merely supplementary.

Dave Filoni, who worked closely with Lucas on the Clone Wars animated series and is now the Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm, echoed this sentiment. He confirmed that for Lucas, only the films and TV shows constituted the real Star Wars universe.

Nevertheless, The Acolyte by Headland has chosen to dive deep into the Expanded Universe. The series reintroduces audiences to concepts and styles like the Tràkata fighting technique, originally from these non-canon tales. It even brings the metal Cortosis from the comics into live-action and hints at more stories about Darth Plagueis—a character mentioned in Revenge of the Sith whose fuller backstory comes from the Expanded Universe.

While The Acolyte faced criticism for some of its storytelling choices and perceived lore-breaking, it stands as a testament to the richness of the Expanded Universe. If it gets a second season, it promises to incorporate even more from these beloved stories.

You can watch The Acolyte on Disney+ and see for yourself how these previously sidelined Star Wars elements are being woven into the fabric of the saga.

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