“Star Wars” series “The Acolyte,” canceled

SORRY, Star Wars fans, but it seems like the Disney+ series “The Acolyte” isn’t getting a second season. 

Set during the High Republic Era in the Star Wars Universe, this series follows the journey of a former Padawan as she reunites with her former Jedi Master, joining forces to investigate a number of crimes that have been happening as of late.

In the past, Lucasfilm, the producer of the show, described it to be a mystery-thriller that would explore a galaxy of shadowy secrets, as well as the emerging dark-side powers, with the High Republic era’s final days.

This series features several acclaimed celebrities, such as Lee Jung Jae from “Squid Game,” Amandla Stenberg from “The Hunger Games,” and the country’s very own Manny Jacinto, best known for his role on “The Good Place.”

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series received an average rating of 78%. Fans viewed it as one of the best onscreen series of the Star Wars, featuring many interesting characters and well-choreographed fight scenes. 

“What makes this show so fascinating is how resolutely it expands the Galaxy, unearthing ripe narrative pathways that turn the franchise more towards science-fantasy than science-fiction,” Jericho Tadeo of the Asian Cut said.

Sarah Marrs of Lainey Gossip said: “Finally, the world of Star Wars actually feels expansive.”

Despite a star-studded cast and positive reviews from fans, Lucasfilm will not be continuing with the project.

Why it got canceled

From the start, the release of the show was deemed “controversial” by many. Forbes Magazine reports that this is because it became the center of a culture war given its diverse cast, with a majority of the leads being people of color. 

Fans felt that the show had a “woke nature,” and that certain writing flaws “broke canon.”

Forbes Magazine also noted that the budget for the eight-episode series was $180 million, but it’s been estimated that its audience was smaller than that of every other Star Wars series. 

Aside from this, it was set in a period of the franchise that had previously gone completely unexplored, having little to no connection to the Skywalker saga that most Star Wars fans are familiar with.

Deadline reports that Lucasfilm had made this decision only a month after the first season of the series had wrapped.