'Acolyte' Cancelled by Disney, Met by Thunderous Applause

The Acolyte is possibly the most controversial Star Wars property ever created, but given some of the content and comments from its creators, it’s easy to see why. Now, Disney and Lucasfilm have finally brought balance to the Force.

Three characters from Disney's "The Acolyte" are depicted with dramatic lighting in Volume 2. The central character wields a glowing knife, flanked by individuals holding blue and green lightsabers. The background features a warm, dimly lit environment. — Credit: Disney+

This Star Wars mystery thriller set during the High Republic era follows Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) and his investigation into a series of crimes that unveils a sinister plot involving dark side forces, a pair of Force-sensitive twins (Amandla Stenberg), and a mysterious Sith Lord (Manny Jacinto).

Although it had a firm foundation, a fascinating new era, and some incredible potential, blatant virtue signaling and poor creative choices by producers who didn’t understand the source material or what ultimately killed the series.

When the answer to “what went wrong” is a multiple-choice answer, you know it’s a bad sign. Although many will be quick to blame the toxic Star Wars fanbase (which did have a role in this decision), the true blame lies ultimately with a convoluted and undercooked storyline that completely abandoned the core elements of the Star Wars franchise.

The Acolyte Cancelled, The Empire Struck Back

An acolyte stands silhouetted at the edge of a rocky cliff by the ocean, facing away. A second person, partially blurred and closer to the foreground, looks towards the figure on the cliff. The scene has a dramatic, somber feel with a muted color palette. — Credit: Lucasfilm

As of yesterday afternoon, it was confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter that the controversial Star Wars series would not return for a second season. The official report offered the following statement:

The Acolyte will not return for season two. Lucasfilm has opted not to continue the Disney+ Star Wars series, which aired its season one finale last month.”

The Leslye Headland-created show earned respectable reviews from critics but was panned by audiences, with only 18 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The show was review-bombed from some quarters who perceived it as “woke,” with certain corners of the internet going after Headland, who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the series’ diverse group of actors.

You can call it woke, flawed, or a failed attempt at something unique, but that’s not the whole story. Star Wars has utilized LGBTQ+ characters before, and many have been successful portrayals. The problem with The Acolyte runs much deeper than an intolerant audience.

In this writer’s opinion, the series lost its identity somewhere after episode three. Although the showrunner and producers kept their word about portraying the Jedi Order as an antagonistic force, it’s hard to find heroism in characters that openly use evil machinations to get their way.

Like many spin-offs of a famous franchise, The Acolyte had tremendous potential to be great. Unfortunately, the grandeur, intrigue, and visual feast that is the High Republic Era have been lost under poor direction and narratives strung by Headland and her team.

A Great Disturbance in the Force

A small, green, pointy-eared character, Yoda, with a brown coat faces away towards a distant, blurred figure in a long robe standing in a brightly lit doorway. The setting appears to be indoors with a futuristic design, hinting at the world of The Acolyte. — Credit: Lucasfilm

Although both Leslye Headland and actress Amandla Stenberg (Osha and Mae) have gone on the record stating that anti-gay sentiments and racist backlash were the true culprits of the show’s poor reviews, the most grievous sin committed was how story and substance were sacrificed for a completely different narrative.

Representation is essential in today’s social climate, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it. Focusing more on checking a box or adhering to a specific social commentary instead of putting that energy toward a compelling storyline can cause the entire project to suffer.

A woman wearing a denim jacket is in the foreground, speaking. In the background, a group of stormtroopers from Star Wars is seen aiming their weapons. The scene juxtaposes a real person with fictional characters from The Acolyte in the Star Wars franchise. — Credit: Inside the Magic

Headland has even gone on the record stating that she intentionally assembled a writer’s room with individuals who had little to no experience with the Star Wars franchise. By that logic, poor reception was inevitable.

Additionally, the infamous showrunner has it exactly been on the best terms with a large percentage of the show’s core audience. Although there are certainly a number of toxic fans out there who regularly troll the social media platforms, there are just as many (if not more) dedicated fans who love the franchise and the world George Lucas created, who are angered that so much is being disregarded and cast aside.

While it might indeed be true that the series needs to move on from the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Boba Fett, and so on, the audience still needs heroes they can root for, villains they want to see defeated, and a gripping narrative that keeps them invested with each new episode. That was what The Acolyte indeed lacked.

A dark, armored figure with a sinister, alien-like helmet, partially concealed in shadows, stands against a backdrop of swirling shades of blue. The helmet features a glossy finish with sharp, menacing edges, lending a mysterious and ominous aura to the character. — Credit: Lucasfilm

Although many will ultimately rejoice at the show’s cancellation, what happened here is truly a tragedy. The Acolyte brought forth so many interesting and unique concepts that had only existed in the Star Wars extended lore until now.

Now, due to poor audience and critical reception, it simply isn’t a good business practice to keep investing money, effort, and energy into something that failed. It simply isn’t lucrative for Disney to keep something like this afloat, but that also might be for the best.

Although it’s still too early in the game to know for sure, this new development will not bode well for the creators of the avidly detested series. As the upcoming Skeleton Crew appears to return to the more traditional Star Wars adventure, we might see a series-wide restructuring in Lucasfilm’s future.

Are you for or against The Acolyte’s cancellation? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!