One of the recent cancellations in the Star Wars universe is The Acolyte, which, despite being highly anticipated by fans, met a tragic fate after the release of its first season in June 2024.
The internet is riddled with mixed reviews on The Acolyte. Many dedicated Star Wars enthusiasts believed the series made unwanted changes to the well-established lore of the galaxy, and they didn't even understand the introduction of Ki-Adi-Mundi in the show. However, some praised the show for its diverse characters and loved how Amandla Stenberg portrayed Osha.
Moreover, the witches in the sci-fi series didn't follow the typical Jedi or Sith method, creating confusion about whether they were inspired by the Fallanassi seen in Star Wars Legends. Since the show's creator is a fan of the Legends series, she might have drawn inspiration from those mysterious witches.
The backlash for the series was so intense that Disney+ had no choice but to cancel The Acolyte. However, the backlash and controversy aren't the only reasons for the series' cancellation, as the production cost reportedly went around $630,000 per minute, making it hard for the action series to survive with low viewership.
Read more to delve deeper into the reasons and controversy behind the dropping of The Acolyte.
Exploring reasons behind the cancellation of Star Wars The Acolyte
In the realm of superhero films and animated shows, Star Wars remains one of the fan-adored franchises since its establishment. The introduction of Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker in the space opera further paved the way for the franchise to develop some highly successful and not-to-be-missed films and series.
Despite being a decade-old franchise, most Star Wars fans find it hard to delve into an altered or new canon and desire to watch series and films that strictly follow the original lore and do not deviate much from the known themes in the space opera.
Similarly, The Acolyte was a highly anticipated Star Wars series until its release in June 2024. There have reportedly been multiple reasons why Disney+ abandoned the show and won't make another season, with harsh or negative reviews and high production costs being major setbacks.
Created by Leslye Headland, the show is set in the High Republic era and features a former Jedi Padawan who's on a quest to discover the roots of the threats emerging from the dark side to harm the Jedi Order and Republic.
The Acolyte was made to introduce viewers to new and diverse characters; Amandla Stenberg was cast as the leading twins, Osha and Mae. While Osha is Sol's former Padawan, her presumed dead twin sister Mae has been working with secret forces to eliminate the Jedi Masters.
The thriller series also received harsh comments over the appearance of Ki-Adi-Mundi, a character in The Phantom Menace, and his arrival in The Acolyte didn't seem to have aligned with the timeline in which the newly released series has taken place.
Many fans accused the show of ruining the established Star Wars canon, as Ki-Adi-Mundi was born in 93 BBY, 40 years before the High Republic Era, according to Legends, making his presence confusing and out of place.
Amandla Stenberg talks about The Acolyte being canceled over "Hyper-conservative bigotry" views
Following the controversies and backlash over The Acolyte and its reception on the streamer, actress Amandla Stenberg recently posted on her Instagram story, sharing her reaction to the series' cancellation and how it happened.
Stenberg is seen making a video and sharing her opinions over the termination of her show and says:
"I’m going to be transparent and say it’s not a huge shock for me... I would say, hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol, prejudice, hatred, and hateful language towards us."
The review-bombing campaigns before the release of The Acolyte severely impacted the show, and despite earning positive feedback from critics, the series failed to survive.
However, Stenberg expressed gratitude for the love she received from supporters of The Acolyte, who enjoyed the fresh story and even demanded its continuation. The actress mentioned that working in the series was "an incredible honor and dream" that came true.
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The first season of The Acolyte is available on Disney+.
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