Summary
Star Wars: The Acolytemight have been canceled after only one season, but the show has stayed in the conversation since then due to mixed opinions, and a marketing move for some upcomingStar Warsmedia will likely extend that relevance once more.
Star Wars: The Acolytewas the brainchild of Leslie Headland, who conceived a story told from a perspective not yet seen in Disney’s newStar Wars:the Sith. Set in the waning time that was the last days of the High Republic era, the show followed twins born of a Force vergence on drastically different paths after the death of their sire and separation at a young age. Starring Amandla Stenberg in both lead roles alongside Lee Jung-jae, Charlie Barnett, Dafne Keen, and many other prominent names, the show received mixed reactions from fans. Despite some very vocal support and a critical thumbs up,the show would be canceled after its first season, with some post-mortem explanations alluding to the budget being the primary reason the show was canned despite internal satisfaction with the content.
The AcolytestarManny Jacinto recently confirmed the full scope of Headland’s original plans for the show, and fans of the characters and the plot being built up are that much more resentful of the cancelation. However, there are some consolations for them, courtesy of the ongoing Star Wars comic book franchise and the upcoming national holiday. As highlighted byComicbook,The Acolyteis getting some love with the upcoming Black History Month Variant Covers for two upcoming issues ofStar Warscomic books, with Mother Aniseya gracing the variant cover forStar Wars: The Legacy Of Vader #1andStar Wars: The High Republic – Fear Of The Jedi #1featuring Osha and Mae with art from Karen S. Darboe and Mateus Manhanini, respectively. Also being featured on theStar Wars: Ahsoka #8Black History Month Variant Cover by Ernanda Souza andStar Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Adaptation #1Black History Month Variant Cover by Ken Lashley are bounty hunter Vail Tormin and original trilogy favorite Lando Calrissian.
The art on all the covers is fittingly gorgeous, with Mother Aniseya perhaps getting the most out of the lot thanks to a sage, Force-invoking composition and her resemblance to the fabulous Jodie Turner-Smith. While the characters have nothing to do with the books that they’ll be beautifying, the variant covers are certainly going to be popular with collectors, fans of the show, and anyone looking to get their hands on some neat titles in February. This isn’t the first homage to the now-defunct series that the company has let go to market, asStar Wars: The Acolytegot at least one prequel project greenlitafter it had already been canceled in addition to following through with one already in the works.
The Acolyte’scancellation and the callbacks that have followed are at odds, as the franchise is showing that the characters certainly appeal to a wide enough base to justify more content but won’t greenlight another season. While budget issues are certainly something that modern shows have to wrestle with, trimming the budget would have been a much more understandable first move. However, the truth seems to be that the actual content was the issue. Laboring underthe perceived hard truth that the Jedi are just not that interestingin the modern franchise, the show set about crafting a pretty subversive narrative that was always going to make the show’s audience a subset. Irrespective of the quality of the show or the depth of the plot itself, this was always going to be an issue for an effects-heavy show in the turbulent, ever-revised streaming environment of 2024.
While the show was certainly a missed opportunity for that specific style of storytelling, at leastone star ofThe Acolyteisn’t too bothered that the show got canned, and fans will have to start seeing things her way eventually to move on. In the meantime, Disney and Lucasfilm don’t seem particularly adverse to capitalizing on the buzz that it managed to generate, and those who enjoyed the show will have that for a while more. Time will tell if this strategy will ever lead to anything more substantial, but for better or worse, fans can enjoy these stellar illustrations starting next month.
