From Player 456 in Netflix’s global hit K-drama Squid Game, fans will see a different Lee Jung-jae in Star Wars: The Acolyte. He’s no longer a former gambling addict who wins a big competition that almost costs him his life. Instead, he now wears Ceremonial Jedi Robes as a Jedi Master himself, Sol. To see more of his great performance, Star Wars drops a new The Acolyte featurette featuring Jung-jae’s Sol as he faces the mysterious Jedi killer.
You can watch the Star Wars: The Acolyte featurette below:
The Acolyte featurette starts with showrunner Leslye Headland, revealing that she was writing the character of Sol when Netflix released Squid Game in 2021. “I said that’s Sol,” the series creator says upon seeing Jung-jae.
The scene then shifts to Sol pointing his lightsaber at someone unseen, who he says is carrying a Jedi weapon despite not being a Jedi. With this intense sequence, Headland adds that the South Korean actor “ran the gamut of every single emotion.” Kogonada, the South Korean filmmaker who directs the series’ Episodes 3 and 7, knows Jung-jae has been a legendary actor in their country for years, revealing he’s always owning his character.
Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson) then enters the scene, telling Sol their suspect is his former Padawan. With this revelation, he asks the Mirialan Jedi Master to bring her in. Carrie-Anne Moss, who plays Jedi Master Indara, then talks about “JJ,” calling him a lovely actor who brings so much heart and genuineness to his character.
“JJ knows how to switch from being formidable and then switch to being heartbreaking,” Headland continues. “I don’t know many actors that can do that.”
As the featurette shows Sol’s fight against Amandla Stenberg’s Mae, the scene changes to Jung-jae’s intense training as he battles a woman behind the scenes. He, too, is seen wielding a weapon that works as a lightsaber.
Talking about his fighting scenes, Stenberg reveals the 51-year-old star shines beautifully in his role and even looks fantastic when he’s fighting, appearing like he’s dancing. “JJ is just a cool Jedi,” she amuses.
With all these heaps of praise for Jung-jae, he unveils that he still can’t believe he’s part of The Acolyte and is trying to be “cool about it." In the last scene, Sol gets into an accident aboard a starship while being chased by someone unknown.
Who is Jedi Master Sol in Star Wars: The Acolyte?
Originally created for The Acolyte, Sol is a highly respected Jedi Master. He’s not only wise but also powerful, especially when it comes to the ways of the Force. But despite these strengths, he’s going through an emotional conflict after meeting a person from his past, Mae.
Living during the High Republic Era, Sol starts investigating the crime spree happening in the galaxy far, far away in 132 BBY. He, too, is the instructor of a group of Jedi younglings, whom he teaches that eyes can be deceptive and are not to be trusted in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
The Acolyte’s two-episode premiere is set to release on June 4, 2024, on Disney+. With his promising performance, viewers should see what Jung-jae will bring to the table as he plays the role of Sol when the new Star Wars series finally hits the small screen.
