The Acolyte Shows How Much Top Gun: Maverick Wasted Manny Jacinto
A new show with a superb critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes proves that Top Gun: Maverick wasted one of its most promising stars in a mostly cut role.
Although The Acolyte is a great showcase for Amandla Stenberg, this only goes to show just how much they were wasted in Top Gun: Maverick. The Acolyte follows Amandla Stenberg in the dual role of Osha and Mae, sisters who were separated in their youth. Osha is a former Padawan who reconnects with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes during the end of the High Republic era.
In the process, Osha’s story introduces viewers to a wide variety of supporting stars. Among them are Carrie-Anne Moss’s Indara, a Jedi Master killed by Mae, and Qimir, Mae’s Sith master. Qimir’s actor might surprise sitcom fans since the character is played by an actor best known for their work on a popular TV comedy. The part of The Acolyte’s new Sith Lord might seem like a dark role, but this star already proved in an earlier blockbuster that they had range beyond their breakout comedy part. Unfortunately, their role was almost entirely cut from the finished film before release.
While many viewers may not have even noticed this, The Good Place’s Manny Jacinto had a supporting role in Top Gun: Maverick. Manny Jacinto’s work in The Good Place proved he could be funny and charismatic, and The Acolyte has since seen the actor display a great amount of dramatic range. Both of these showcases prove that Top Gun: Maverick wasted Manny Jacinto’s talents by leaving almost all of his character’s screen time on the cutting room floor.
To be fair to Manny Jacinto, Top Gun: Maverick deleted another pivotal scene starring Lewis Pullman’s B.O.B and Monica Barbaro’s Phoenix because it ran the risk of distracting from the main narrative. The sequel was focused on Maverick’s character arc and his relationship with Miles Teller’s Rooster, so it is perhaps unsurprising that Manny Jacinto’s superfluous Fritz got so little screen time. However, Glen Powell’s scene-stealing turn as Hangman in Top Gun: Maverick effectively launched the actor into blockbuster stardom. As such, it is fair to say that Manny Jacinto’s Fritz could have gotten more story focus from the sequel.
Top Gun 3 Should Bring Back Manny Jacinto's Fritz
Now that The Acolyte has proven how versatile Manny Jacinto is, the star will have a higher profile and will be even more of a proven talent by the time Top Gun 3’s production commences. It would be fair to expect the filmmakers to expand his role in the sequel, turning Fritz into the fully fleshed-out supporting character he could have been in Top Gun: Maverick. In the process, Top Gun: Maverick’s sequel could use some of that charisma, humor, and dramatic range that Manny Jacinto has displayed in The Acolyte and The Good Place, making up for its predecessor’s missed opportunity.
