We love seeing legends supporting legends. Onhis personal Instagram,Ahmed Bestvoiced his support forThe Acolyteand its starAmandla Stenberg, the most recentStar WarsDisney+ series which wascanceled after one season. Best posted a picture of Stenberg, who portrays both Mae and Osha in the High Republic series, with the caption: “I will always stand in solidarity for artists who give 110% to their work and art. Keep shining queen.” This is only the latest in a long line of gestures from both fans and performers alike showing support forThe Acolyte, which hasa petition with more than 50,000 signaturesto overturn the cancelation and renew the series for Season 2.
This post from Best comes less than 24 hours afterStenberg took to their personal Instagram to weigh in on the cancelation, expressing their discontent but making sure to highlight that they weren’t surprised. Stenberg and their fellowAcolytestars dealt with racist and sexist backlash from the moment they were cast in the series.Manny Jacinto, who portrays Qimir in the series, was the first to weigh in on the cancelation, simplyposting a picture of himself with Osha with a heart as the caption.
Best weighs in on this topic with an unfortunate amount of personal experience. He faced a ridiculous amount of abuse during the prequels for playing Jar Jar Binks, so much so that he has admitted to considering ending his own life to stop the backlash.Best made his triumphant return to the franchiseyears later inThe MandalorianSeason 3, where it was revealed thatKelleran Beq was the one who helped Grogu escapeduring Order 66.
‘The Acolyte’ Wasn’t Canceled Because of Low Viewership
Many fans have exclaimed that the only reasonThe Acolytewas canceled was due to poor viewership, but numbers tell a different story.The show consistently produced strong viewershipin a summer full of popular television shows such asHouse of the Dragon,The Boys, andThe Bear. While it perhaps didn’t reach the top of the streaming charts and shatter countless records,viewership was still strong enough to warrant a second season, especially considering the strong critical reception.
The Acolytecurrently sits at a strong 78% from critics onRotten Tomatoes, but an 18% rating from general audiences as a result of review bombing. It also set upmultiple exciting plots that could have been developed in further seasons, inciting even more disappointment from those who were looking forward to seeing more ofThe Acolytein the future.
The Acolytewill not return for a second season. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates and stream the first season ofThe Acolyteexclusively onDisney+.
The Acolyte
The Acolyte is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.
WATCH ON DISNEY+
