Why Cancelling THE ACOLYTE Feels Like a Major STAR WARS Mistake

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As a die-hard Star Wars fan who has grown up with this iconic franchise, I must say I am disheartened by the cancellation of The Acolyte. Having invested countless hours and emotions into this universe, it feels like we are left hanging yet again.

News about Lucasfilm cancelling “The Acolyte” has sparked justified outrage among many Star Wars fans. Regrettably, there are some individuals who are reveling in this unfortunate turn of events, as they never wanted the show to prosper from the outset. This situation casts a negative light on Lucasfilm, as it appears the company may be catering to a vocal and unreasonably loud group with negative sentiments. Whether or not that’s the case, this is likely the narrative being spun by this group at present. However, “The Acolyte” was indeed unique in several aspects and deserved another opportunity to prove its worth.

The Acolyte Expanded Out of the Skywalker Saga At Last

The expansive world of Star Wars is teeming with narrative possibilities. In essence, as Obi-Wan Kenobi put it in “A New Hope”, the happenings across the galaxy, far, far away span “a thousand generations”. However, in terms of the official parts of the franchise’s storyline, which includes both live-action and animation, the majority of stories have been set within approximately 70 years during the Skywalker Saga. This approach makes business sense given the global recognition of the saga, largely due to the groundbreaking films by George Lucas. Even the more innovative Star Wars productions such as “Andor” maintain connections to events depicted in “A New Hope”.

When Lucasfilm unveiled the upcoming series, “The Acolyte,” set a century before “The Phantom Menace,” Star Wars enthusiasts erupted with excitement. At last, no Stormtrooper helmets, Imperial forces, or Rebels/Resistance! Hurray for delving into the Jedi at their zenith and an intriguing examination of the Sith! We’ve been anticipating this for years.

To put it simply, taking on a project like The Acolyte for Lucasfilm and Disney+ could be considered a daring choice. The majority of viewers, who are typically casual Star Wars fans, tend to prefer what they’re already familiar with. They recognize characters such as Boba Fett, Obi-Wan, and even the newer characters from The Mandalorian, thanks to their appearances in the films. Even The Mandalorian found mainstream success, in part, due to “baby Yoda.” Therefore, having well-known symbols worked to their advantage. However, The Acolyte doesn’t have such recognizable elements apart from the concept of Jedi.

Star Wars Needs to Grow With New Material Like The Acolyte, or It Could Ultimately Wither Away

However, its existence is a reminder that Star Wars as a franchise cannot grow if it keeps repeating its greatest hits. There’s nothing wrong with nostalgia plays. Nostalgic content has its place. But if that’s all this franchise leans on, it’ll die a slow death. For that reason alone, The Acolyte should have a chance to thrive, even if it didn’t initially become the ratings phenomenon that Lucasfilm and Disney desired. Shows often need time to develop and gain an audience. This is fact that’s seemingly lost in the streaming age, where everything must become an instant hit or die.

If the initial skepticism had persisted, we wouldn’t have iconic series like “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, and “Breaking Bad”. Giving “The Acolyte” more time could pave a new path for this franchise, potentially leading to significant changes.

The Acolyte Created Fans Outside Star Wars‘ Usual Demographic

While it’s accurate to say that The Acolyte didn’t achieve a massive cultural impact like The Mandalorian, it’s limiting to believe every Star Wars production should reach such heights. The reality is more complex, considering the vast array of entertainment options available today. What sets The Acolyte apart is its appeal to a new audience, particularly those captivated by the multicultural cast and the intriguing dynamic between Osha (Amandla Stenberg) and the enigmatic Stranger (Manny Jacinto).

Instead of fostering a new generation of Star Wars enthusiasts who might immerse themselves further into this universe and consume upcoming content, Lucasfilm may have unintentionally repelled them from wanting to delve deeper by exhibiting behavior that could be off-putting or divisive. This sentiment is also shared among longtime fans who have observed undesirable conduct within the fandom for quite some time. The sense of disillusionment stems from feeling as though the negative elements are prevailing, which has led to a deep frustration and dissatisfaction that goes beyond simple disappointment, especially given recent events.

The Acolyte Was a Target Before and Throughout Its Run

2020 saw Lucasfilm unveil “The Acolyte,” a new series for which Star Wars enthusiast Leslye Headland would pen and produce. Notably, Headland chose to focus the story around women and people of color, and she herself identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Predictably, this announcement sparked criticism from certain groups who have yet to witness even a single scene from the series.

Regrettably, this isn’t an unusual occurrence for the franchise. When Kelly Marie Tran joined ‘The Last Jedi’, some bigoted fans responded by generating a vast amount of negative content towards her online. They even drove the actress off social media due to their harassment. During the filming of ‘The Rise of Skywalker’, Tran’s significant role reduced significantly, from a main supporting character to having less than two minutes of screen time. This was disappointing for fans of Rose Tico. This behavior resurfaced when ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ premiered on Disney+ in 2022. Many of these so-called “fans” targeted actress Moses Ingram, who portrayed Inquisitor Reva in the series, with bullying.

As The Acolyte approached its debut, there was an influx of negative reviews, with some viewers expressing intense frustration that the show “violated canon.” This anger stemmed from a belief that if any Jedi had encountered a Sith before Episode I – The Phantom Menace, it would create inconsistencies in the film’s dialogue. (It’s worth noting that all these Jedi perishing before the series’ end.) However, this discussion about canon-breaking was more of a smokescreen, as it masked the true source of their ire: for the first time, a Star Wars project didn’t focus on straight white men. This discontent was orchestrated to create a negative atmosphere around the show, discouraging casual viewers from watching. Sadly, it appears that their strategy had an impact, given the recent cancellation news.

It’s no secret that “The Acolyte” is the first live-action Star Wars series to be abruptly cut off mid-plot, while previous shows like “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and “Book of Boba Fett” were planned as standalone miniseries. Although there was potential for more content, it seems that “The Acolyte” was intended as a three-season series from the start. Regrettably, some may misinterpret this cancellation as vindication, but that’s far from the truth.

For numerous fans, The Acolyte served as the last straw that left them questioning the credibility of any new Star Wars series on Disney+ produced by Lucasfilm. Given the uncertain fate of the storyline in The Acolyte, it’s challenging to have faith in the upcoming Skeleton Crew, fearing it may end with an unresolved cliffhanger like its predecessor. While it’s possible that loose ends from The Acolyte might eventually be tied up in a future novel or comic book, imagine if The Empire Strikes Back had chosen to resolve its iconic cliffhanger in a book instead!

Star Wars isn’t like other franchises – it reigns supreme among science fiction/fantasy series. Given its status as the undisputed leader, fans naturally anticipate a continuity of storylines from the throne. Therefore, we’ll all be eager to discover if and how some plot points are tackled in the upcoming series, The Acolyte.

Does The Acolyte Still Have a Future?

Hopefully, Lucasfilm hears the fan outcry and rethinks its decision and gives The Acolyte one more season to wrap up its story. Andor was originally meant to go five seasons, but was truncated to two, allowing Tony Gilroy to tell his story. Leslye Headland deserves the same grace. Even if the show has bigger budget restraints this time. If Lucasfilm essentially continued the new story in a sequel series with a new name, fans of The Acolyte certainly wouldn’t be against it. It’s not the name they’re attached to, it’s the characters.

So far, Lucasfilm hasn’t released any official statements about The Acolyte. This presents an excellent chance for Lucasfilm to demonstrate that the future of the Star Wars franchise lies in cultivating new fans and expanding, rather than making moves that may please a certain segment of the fanbase who prefer the franchise to remain static. Continually rehashing the best parts of Star Wars isn’t sustainable. The Acolyte wasn’t flawless, but it did venture boldly into unexplored territories within the Star Wars universe. As the franchise approaches its 50th anniversary, such expansion is crucial.

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2024-08-26 23:03