Credit: LucasfilmOne of the most scandalous developments in recent Disney news was the cancellation of Star Wars: The Acolyte on Disney+. As a legion of rightfully upset fans are tearing all those involved limb from limb on social media, can they really be upset at talented actors for working with such a poorly received script?
It’s no secret that the Star Wars fan base can be incredibly toxic, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t have the right to be upset after some of the recent commentary by Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland. However, there’s no logical reason for them to put Amandla Stenberg on blast for simply fulfilling her contract and doing her job.
Related: Lucasfilm Unveils New ‘Star Wars’ World With Five Themed Lands
Amandla Stenberg played the dual role of Osha and Mae, twin Force-users whose fates were entwined after encountering Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) and the Jedi Order. No one in their right mind would say no to the opportunity to be a part of arguably the most successful science fiction franchise in cinematic history, yet Stenberg’s social media pages are overflowing with hateful comments.
Amandla Stenberg After The Acolyte
Any project that requires an actor to play multiple roles is bound to be difficult, and playing a pair of twins on opposite sides of the Force couldn’t have been a walk in the park.
Like Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) and Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Tico) before her, Amandla Stenberg was offered the role of a lifetime before toxic members of the fandom tore into her simply for playing a character in a poorly received project.
Related: ‘Tales of the Empire’ Proves Darth Vader Needs a Spinoff
Unfortunately, the realms of social media are rarely kind, and Stenberg is just another victim. The actress shared a heartfelt thank you message on her Instagram page, thanking the stuntwomen who helped her physically approach the role. Along with a series of pictures, Stenberg wrote,
“[Now] that all of our show is out I have to thank the beautiful people who became my family on this show. starting with [Kellina Rutherford] and [Cassie Jo Craig], the best damn stuntwomen in the game, who guided me lovingly and with patience as I grew into a stunt actor, shaped and molded Osha and Mae alongside me with such finesse, and busted their asses to deliver incredible stunt work day in and out. I love you my dear sisters, and miss wearing our bunny hats in bed after getting our asses kicked all day”
As kind as the post was, it was almost instantly met by commenters who were quick to blame her for The Acolyte’s failure.
@noelsolis22 wrote,
“Next time, try not insulting like 90% of the fanbase by calling them racist/sexist/homophobic/transphobic and you might get more people watching.”
And @pickachulovable added,
“Hope your ego took the hit it needed. Maybe learn to accept criticism next time before acting like a victim. The writing was bad that’s why it was bad.”
The rest of the comments voice more-or-less the same sentiments, attacking Stenberg and complaining about the show’s quality while she praises two nearly unseen contributors who worked on some of the most impressive fight choreography in Star Wars. On Wednesday night, Stenberg made the following statement in her Instagram Story.
“I’m going to be really transparent and say that it’s not a huge shock for me…Of course, I live in the bubble of my own reality, but for those who aren’t aware, there has been a rampage of vitriol that we have faced since the show was even announced — when it was still just a concept. 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 toward us.”
It should be said that The Acolyte’s Osha/Mae isn’t Stenberg’s first taste of fame. She played Rue in The Hunger Games (2012), where her death broke the hearts of thousands when it first premiered. Since then, the actress has played major roles in films like Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) and The Hate U Give (2018).
Related: ‘Star Wars’ Remake: ‘The Phantom Menace’ Hits YouTube
Despite her talent and performances in other more well-received projects, Stenberg has been met with even more backlash. However, the fans are directing their hate at the wrong target.
Fight the Real Enemy
The Acolyte is the living embodiment of the phrase “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” The series had a marvelous concept in the beginning: a murder-mystery thriller set in the High Republic Era of the Star Wars universe, that should have rivaled The Mandalorian. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
If fans truly want to be upset at someone responsible for The Acolyte, they should point the finger higher than the cast list if they expect to find the real culprit. Instead of blaming actors for performing off of a bad script, blame the hand that held the pen.
Related: Report: Luke Skywalker To Return as ‘Star Wars’ Main Character, Disney Rejects New Series
Blame Leslye Headland for pushing her own social commentary in an established universe, ignoring the voices of writers and fans who truly understood the source material, and ruining the chances of a true return to the High Republic. Moreover, much of the blame lies with Kathleen Kennedy for ignoring and insulting the target Star Wars demographic, resulting in the massive pushback that led to the show’s cancellation.
Amanda Stenberg, Manny Jacinto, Lee Jung-Jae, Dafnee Keen, and Carrie-Anne Moss are simply performers telling someone else’s story. While the show they helped create was met with tremendous outrage by the audience, they are innocent and are simply victims of a creative team that didn’t understand the assignment.
Inside the Magic reached out to Amandla Stenberg for comment, but received no response at the time of publishing.
Do you think Lucasfilm should renew The Acolyte? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!