Credit: LucasfilmIt’s been well over a month since The Acolyte ended and two weeks since it was canceled, yet the vitriol shows no sign of dying any time soon.
The prognosis for The Acolyte was never great. Set towards the end of the High Republic era, roughly 100 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), the show follows respected Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) as he dives into the mysterious murders of several Jedi Masters.
Teaming up with his former Padawan (Amandla Stenberg), they unravel a dark conspiracy led by her sister and a shadowy Sith Lord (Manny Jacinto). But as the truth unfolds, it becomes clear that Master Sol and a pair of twin Force-users are hiding deadly secrets of their own.
Even before its debut on Disney+ earlier this year, the series faced intense scrutiny. A significant part of the backlash came from certain vocal fans who are resistant to female-driven projects, particularly in the Star Wars universe.
With a female lead, Amandla Stenberg, and a female showrunner, Leslye Headland—both proudly part of the LGBTQ+ community—the show was in the crosshairs well before it hit the screen.
Once it aired, this sentiment only grew. Valid critiques of the show’s weak spots were twisted out of proportion by some ‘fans.’ The show was review-bombed on Rotten Tomatoes (with some people accidentally slamming the wrong project entirely in their rush to just get their hate from keyboard to screen). Several of its actors, Stenberg included, were subjected to what can only be described as cyberbullying.
The thing is, this isn’t the first time this has happened in the Star Wars universe. Any project set in a galaxy far, far away (heck, any project, period) that spotlights women, actors of color, or LGBTQ+ characters has experienced something similar.
Several cast members of the sequel trilogy were well and truly put through the wringer online for this very reason, with Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Tico), John Boyega (Finn), and Daisy Ridley (Rey) among the most frequent targets.
Stenberg, who uses she/they pronouns, has since addressed the hate on their Instagram while commenting on the show’s cancellation. “I’m going to be transparent and say it’s not a huge shock for me,” Stenberg said (via Variety).
“There has been a rampage of vitriol that we have faced since the show was even announced, when it was still just a concept and no one had even seen it. That’s when we started experiencing a rampage of, I would say, hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol, prejudice, hatred and hateful language towards us.”
They went on to add: “This really affected me when I first got the job because it’s just not something — even though I anticipated it happening — it’s not something you can fully understand what it feels like until it’s happening to you. However, I feel like I’ve kind of moved through those feelings in various ways, including being vocal about it myself. … It just became inarguable for me, at a certain point, that in order to continue to be myself, I would have to honor my value system by being vocal even in the context of working for Disney.”
Stenberg – who also starred alongside Jennifer Lawrence as Rue in The Hunger Games (2012) – wrapped up by thanking those who’d supported the show.
“I just want to let those people know out there who supported us in that way, and supported us vocally — despite and in the face of all of the vitriol that we received and the kind of the targeted attack, I would say, we received by the alt-right — just that you were deeply loved and appreciated. And it made this job all the worthwhile for me.”
Several other Star Wars alumni have since spoken out in support of Stenberg. Ahmed Best, who played the much-derided Jar-Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequel trilogy by George Lucas and is no stranger to fandom hate, posted a picture of Stenberg on Instagram, captioned with: “I will always stand in solidarity for artists who give 110% to their work and art. Keep shining queen.”
John Boyega has also shown support for Stenberg, commenting on their post about the series finale airing with a GIF of Harrison Ford saluting as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy. “John Boyega in Amandla’s comments,” commented one fan on X, formerly known as Twitter. “This franchise did them both so nasty.”
John Boyega in Amandla's comments. This franchise did them both so nasty pic.twitter.com/TnJeZeouL7
— c (@baeduans) August 21, 2024
Of all social media platforms, X has seen the most hate directed at Stenberg. Discussing Film, which covers news across the entertainment industry, recently made a post about The Acolyte and was forced to disable replies in the wake of what was written by other users.
What’s really notable here is Lucasfilm’s silence. The studio – which hasn’t even offered an official statement on the show’s cancellation – may not be able to micromanage the Star Wars fanbase, but there’s a certain duty of care when it comes to those who are platformed by its projects.
That’s a duty that the studio has routinely failed to supply in the past, typically providing minimal (if any) comments on the matter.
When Obi-Wan Kenobi aired in 2022, the studio made a comment regarding actress Moses Ingram, who was subjected to racist hate on social media. “We are proud to welcome Moses Ingram to the Star Wars family and excited for Reva’s story to unfold,” it said via the Star Wars X account.
“If anyone intends to make her feel in any way unwelcome, we have only one thing to say: we resist. There are more than 20 million sentient species in the Star Wars galaxy, don’t choose to be a racist.”
We are proud to welcome Moses Ingram to the Star Wars family and excited for Reva’s story to unfold. If anyone intends to make her feel in any way unwelcome, we have only one thing to say: we resist. pic.twitter.com/lZW0yvseBk
— Star Wars (@starwars) May 31, 2022
Prior to The Acolyte airing, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy also offered a slither of sympathy for the brewing hatred around the show.
“Operating within these giant franchises now, with social media and the level of expectation — it’s terrifying,” Kennedy told The New York Times.
“I think Leslye has struggled a little bit with it. I think a lot of the women who step into Star Wars struggle with this a bit more. Because of the fan base being so male-dominated, they sometimes get attacked in ways that can be quite personal. My belief is that storytelling does need to be representative of all people. That’s an easy decision for me.”
But where has this sentiment been in the chaos that unfolded post-premiere? Lucasfilm’s decision to quietly axe the show and leave the current situation unchecked, allowing it to play out as aggressively as it has in recent weeks, is poor form.
It shows an alliance with the toxic side of the fandom that berated this show so viciously, leaving those in support of original storytelling that relies on more than just easter eggs and cameos in the dust. If this is the future of Star Wars, consider us concerned.
Do you think Lucasfilm has handled The Acolyte properly?