Amandla Stenberg Wasn’t Shocked by The Acolyte’s Cancellation, Reflects on the ‘Outburst of Violence’ That Took Place Around the Show

Star Wars: The Acolyte star Amandla Stenberg took to Instagram to thank fans for their support while reflecting on what they called an “outpouring of vitriol” surrounding the series, which was canceled after one season on Disney+.

“I’m going to be transparent and say this isn’t a huge shock to me. Sure, I was in the bubble of my own reality, but for those who don’t know, we’ve been dealing with a wave of vitriol since the show was announced. When it was still just a concept and no one had even seen it,” Stenberg said in a lengthy video posted to Instagram.

“That’s when we started to see a wave of hyperconservative bigotry and vitriol. Prejudice and hatred and hateful language directed at us. And that really affected me when I got this job because it’s not something you can fully understand until it happens to you.”

Stenberg then addressed what they called the “hyper-divisive” environment that helped spark the backlash against The Acolyte while taking the time to thank fans, who they said were “loved and appreciated.”

“I still feel a lot of lightness and joy around the fact that I got to experience it, and that people loved it, and that they were so receptive. I went through so many different iterations of fan art and ship art and fan theories that were just so beautiful and filled my heart with joy,” Stenberg said, “and I just want to let those people out there who supported us in that way, and vocally supported us through all the vitriol that we received… just that you were deeply loved and appreciated.”

Stenberg also thanked Lucasfilm, saying that working on the series was a “truly beautiful, energizing, life-changing experience,” as well as showrunner Leslye Headland, whom they described as “one of the best people in the world.”

Stenberg wasn’t the only person to react to The Acolyte’s cancellation. His co-star Lee Jung-jae had previously expressed surprise at the decision to end the series after just one season, and said they hoped Headland would find a way to continue The Acolyte’s story.

Ultimately, we had mixed feelings about The Acolyte, writing in our review: “Setting its story in the more distant past, in a galaxy far, far away, allows The Acolyte to feel fresh and different from other recent live-action Star Wars series, with an intriguing storyline that seems to set the stage for the return of the Sith we know is coming.”

However, outside of its thrilling Jedi fight scenes, its execution sometimes feels off, with frequent cheesy moments and a lack of visual flair that contributes to the lingering worry that all these streaming Star Wars series have diminished the epic nature of the franchise and what makes it special. Taken on its own terms, The Acolyte offers enjoyable character dynamics and an enticing mystery, but its first four episodes fail to coalesce into something that truly shines. But look, there’s a Wookiee Jedi, and that’s always a plus.”

Still, The Acolyte gave the world The Master, aka The Stranger, played by Manny Jacincto, who was a huge hit with fans. The series also had a lot of unresolved plot threads and burning questions, which left some fans hoping for more.

Stenberg ended by discussing what they believe contributed to the division that impacted The Acolyte, attributing it to “echo chambers of thought and algorithms that reinforce our biases.” They challenged viewers to “continue to question” what they’re watching and “think critically about what shapes it.”

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Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director and co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Got a tip? Send her a private message at @the_katbot.