Star Wars’ The Acolyte Criticism Validated By Creator In One-Year Reflection After Disney Show’s Cancellation

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The creator of the Star Wars series The Acolyte is speaking out a year after its cancellation, and acknowledging some of the criticism the show received. The Acolyte, which was the first Star Wars show on Disney+ to be canceled, centers on a former Jedi apprentice (played by Amandla Stenberg) who finds herself pulled toward the dark side when her twin sister (also played by Stenberg) unexpectedly reappears.

Let me tell you, ‘The Acolyte’ has some seriously exciting casting choices. Manny Jacinto, who I loved in ‘The Good Place,’ is fantastic as a character clearly aiming for the dark side – a truly memorable Sith lord in the making. And Lee Jung-jae, fresh off the success of ‘Squid Game,’ delivers a nuanced performance as Osha’s former Jedi Master, a man wrestling with some heavy internal conflicts. The supporting cast is just as strong, featuring talents like Charlie Barnett, Dafne Keen, Jodie Turner-Smith, Carrie-Anne Moss, Dean-Charles Chapman, and even showrunner Leslye Headland’s wife, Rebecca Henderson. It’s a really impressive ensemble.

When The Acolyte premiered in June 2024, it received a lot of negative reactions. While some criticism was due to issues with the writing itself, much of the backlash also included racist comments, likely because the show features a more diverse cast than previous Star Wars projects. In a recent interview with The Wrap, the show’s creator, Lesly Headland, admitted there were real flaws and that the series “was always a major risk.”

Image via Disney+

As a huge Star Wars fan, I found Leslye Headland’s point about The Acolyte really interesting. She believes the show was so bold because it deliberately stepped away from well-trodden ground in the Star Wars timeline. It wasn’t relying on things we already knew! She explained that unlike Andor, which brilliantly used familiar elements like Stormtroopers and political intrigue, The Acolyte couldn’t do that. It had to build its own world, because all the established imagery and visual cues were tied to the original trilogy. It’s a totally different approach, and I think that’s what makes it so refreshing.

She added that any criticisms of the show are understandable. She explained that being first to try something new often means making mistakes, and she has no regrets about her work. She remains a huge Star Wars fan and is proud of the show, believing the talented designers who worked on it deserve the most credit for its success.

Headland said she was surprised by how quickly and publicly her show was cancelled, though not necessarily the cancellation itself. She realized it was likely to happen when she started receiving calls about negative reactions and declining viewership. She also thinks the show suffered from being constantly compared to other Star Wars series.

According to Headland, they only had a few key plot points they were determined to include in the second season. However, like some critics have pointed out, she believes The Acolyte might have benefited from a longer development process. She explained this by saying:

Considering this was a new show trying out a unique approach, I believe giving its target audience a chance to discover it would have been a good idea. However, that wasn’t my call to make, and I respect the final decision, though I am disappointed.

In a conversation with Headland, The Wrap discussed the negative reactions to The Acolyte. Headland explained she’s long been aware of how Star Wars fans discuss the show online, saying, “As a Star Wars fan myself, I’ve been part of the community that recaps, criticizes, and celebrates the show since the beginning of YouTube.”

Headland explains that he’s known these individuals for a long time and even financially supported some of them through Patreon. He says the group is very diverse – he respects some members, thinks others are exploitative, and acknowledges the presence of fascists and racists within the community. It’s not a homogenous group, he clarifies.

Image via Disney+

I was both unsurprised and disappointed by some of what I saw. Headland also points out that people fueling online conversations can profit from them, particularly because of the huge popularity of Star Wars. She suggests these discussions might even influence the kinds of stories that are made in the future.

Headland explained that she realized there’s a disconnect between how studios view fan engagement and what it actually is. While it resembles fandom, studios often treat it like a way to test ideas, similar to a focus group. This led her to believe that the content inspired by Star Wars—fan fiction, discussions, and so on—might ultimately have a bigger cultural impact than Star Wars itself. She shifted her perspective from seeing passionate fans as ‘toxic’ or ‘mean’ to recognizing the potential cultural significance of what they create.

The debut of The Acolyte and the reaction to it highlight some troubling trends in today’s pop culture. Despite offering intriguing new perspectives on the Star Wars universe, it’s a shame the show arrived at a moment where it likely won’t have the chance to develop further with another season.

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2025-11-22 00:39