Star Wars prequel The Acolyte has "a lot of stuff" from the EU says the showrunner, and Disney didn't stop her

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When the Walt Disney Company took full control of the Star Wars brand, one of the first things they did was delineate what was canon (the movies, the tv shows) and what was no longer canon (many of the comics, books, games, and other materials). To borrow a phrase from Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars movies, it was "as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced."

This 'other' was codified as the Star Wars Expanded Universe (or 'EU'), and it has been a subject of debate for going on a decade now. While not canon, from time-to-time certain elements of the EU do make their way into Star Wars canon - either directly, or inspiring something indirectly.

But the upcoming Star Wars prequel show The Acolyte on Disney+ could be a chance to change that from drips and drops to opening a real door for fans' favorite EU concepts back into Star Wars canon - especially since the show takes place 100 years before any Star Wars movie.

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"There’s also a lot of stuff from the EU that I got to utilize. Nobody stopped me, so I did it," The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland tells The Hollywood Reporter with a laugh. "So if you’re a fan, there will be a species that you might recognize. There are also certain narrative elements."

Headland specifically promises easter eggs - not just to the previous movies, but also the EU.

"Basically, there are enough Easter eggs if you’re a fan of the Original Trilogy, the Prequels, or The Clone Wars. And then there’s some EU sprinkled in," says Headland. "So you could definitely watch this series without knowing anything about Star Wars, but if you are a Star Wars fan, you will notice all of the things that we’ve put in there."

And while not EU, The Acolyte's impending live-action debut of Vernestra Rwoh (played by Rebecca Henderson), previously a character exclusively in the Star Wars prose novels and comics, is also more of a sign towards this.

The Star Wars prequel the Acolyte debuts June 4 on Disney+ .

Not done with Star Wars yet? Dive into the films and TV shows with our Star Wars watch order, or debate on which was the best with our ranked list of the best (and worst) Star Wars movies. And since it's now upon us, follow along with Popverse's coverage of The Acolyte.