The Acolyte Almost Featured John Wick Star Keanu Reeves in Key Role

Following the recent cancelation of Star Wars series The Acolyte, new information about the show and the casting process has now come to light. The role of Master Sol was portrayed by Squid Game’s Lee Jung-jae, whose performance was widely considered one of the highlights of the series. But recent reports indicate that Jung-jae was not Lucasfilm’s first choice for the role. According to notable insider Jeff Sneider, the one and only Keanu Reeves was originally the top choice to play the Jedi Master.

However, this seems a little surprising given showrunner Leslye Headland’s own admission that she never considered anyone else as Master Sol. Prior to the series premiere, Headland spoke to IGN about the creation of the character and her casting of Jung-jae.

“I had written this character, and I had no idea who to cast, and I had no idea who was going to be able to play all of these different level. I thought [about] Squid Game and I was like, ‘that’s the guy, that’s him . I don’t know how I get in touch with this person, I don’t know if they want to perform in English.’ To me, it became so clearly [Lee]’s part, as opposed to [casting him for] the fact he’s a Korean movie star.”

It is possible Lucasfilm was considering Reeves before Headland made her pitch for the series. Under those circumstances, it’s likely the potential Reeves casting was then tabled as the character developed and Jung-jae became the obvious and preferred choice for the role. Considering the series’ budget topped out at $180 million, it’s no doubt Lucasfilm were happy to save themselves on the casting, as Reeves would no doubt have come with a much higher fee. Then again, one can’t help but wonder if the inclusion of a big name like Keanu Reeves could have helped to draw a wider audience than the series eventually captured.

Keanu Reeves Is Still Being Eyed for a Future Star Wars Project

While Keanu Reeves didn’t make his debut in the Star Wars franchise with The Acolyte, Sneider also reports that he is still highly sought after by the studio to enter the galaxy far, far away. Lucasfilm currently has several Star Wars projects in the pipeline, including The Mandalorian and Grogu, and the New Jedi Order film featuring Daisy Ridley’s Rey. Though fans have long hoped Reeves would play the character of Darth Revan in a story set during the Star Wars Era known as the Old Republic.

Reeves is also highly sought after by Lucasfilm’s sister company, Marvel Studios. The Matrix star confessed in 2021 that he had met with Marvel head Kevin Feige about his potential addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but they have yet to decide on a role that would suit him. In the meantime, Reeves is still hoping to reprise the role of DC’s Constantine in a sequel to the 2005 film, and he will make his Broadway debut in Fall of 2025 alongside his Bill & Ted costar, Alex Winter, in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.