‘The Acolyte’ Gets New Life After More Cancellation Evidence Comes To Light

Lucasfilm’s Star Wars television slate has seen major shakeups in the past year, with The Acolyte’s cancellation and Skeleton Crew’s uncertain future adding to the ongoing debate over the franchise’s direction on Disney+.

Last summer, The Acolyte transported fans to the High Republic era, a period largely unexplored in live-action. Created by Leslye Headland, the series set out to examine the Jedi’s so-called Golden Age while offering a fresh perspective on the Sith’s rise to power. Its bold storytelling choices and subversive take on established lore, however, sparked intense discourse within the Star Wars community—reminiscent of the reaction to Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: Episode VIII—The Last Jedi (2017).

From its announcement as a “female-centric” series, The Acolyte became a focal point for controversy. Some praised its inclusivity and diverse cast, including Amandla Stenberg (Osha/Mae Aniseya), Lee Jung-jae (Jedi Master Sol), and Manny Jacinto (Qimir/The Stranger), while others dismissed it as overly political, fueling ongoing cultural debates in fandom spaces.

Despite drawing a passionate fanbase, The Acolyte was ultimately canceled. While Lucasfilm cited low viewership as the primary reason, some argue the decision was influenced by vocal detractors who had criticized the cast and creative team throughout the show’s run. The cancellation left lingering questions regarding key plot points, including Darth Plagueis’s reveal and Yoda’s involvement in the Brendok disaster.

However, new data suggests The Acolyte may have been more successful than Disney originally believed. According to Parrot Analytics, which measures demand through social media engagement and streaming data, the show outperformed several recent Star Wars projects, including Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka.

“Seven months after The Acolyte was canceled, Parrot Analytics indicated demand for the High Republic series is still running strong,” The Direct reported. “The series has demand in the U.S. of 20.4 times the market average in the last 30 days—a level held by only 2.7% of shows that Parrot Analytics classes as ‘outstanding.'”

For comparison, Obi-Wan Kenobi measured at 11.4 times the market average, The Book of Boba Fett at 11.7 times, Ahsoka at 13.9 times, and The Mandalorian at 26.9 times. Meanwhile, Skeleton Crew, which premiered in December 2024, recorded 21.7 times the market average.

This new evidence follows the previously revealed figures that The Acolyte was Disney+’s second most-watched series in 2024, with just under 2.7 billion minutes streamed. The Star Wars series placed second behind Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which scored just over 3 billion.

With the numbers suggesting a continued interest in The Acolyte, fans have speculated whether Disney might reconsider the series’ fate. While addressing the cancellation, Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman previously told Vulture:

“So as it relates to Acolyte, we were happy with our performance, but it wasn’t where we needed it to be given the cost structure of that title, quite frankly, to go and make a season two. So that’s the reason why we didn’t do that.”

Meanwhile, Skeleton Crew, which returned Star Wars to the New Republic era under the guidance of Jon Watts and Christopher Ford, also faced challenges despite strong reviews. With a budget of $136 million, the series, starring Jude Law as the enigmatic Force user Jod Na Nawood, struggled to gain significant traction on Disney+.

“It may be too early to know anything for certain about viewership, but it seems that the double-episode premiere did not break into Luminate’s top 10 streaming list for that week when The Acolyte’s premiere at least was at #7,” Forbes reported in December.

Bergman acknowledged the show’s uncertain future, stating, “Skeleton Crew is in process now, so we’ll see. We’ve seen some growth on that. We’ll see how that goes. As you said, the reviews have been excellent on Skeleton Crew, so we’ll have to see how that all plays out as it moves forward.”

Beyond streaming, Star Wars will return to the big screen in 2026 with The Mandalorian and Grogu, marking the franchise’s first theatrical release since 2019’s Star Wars: Episode IX—The Rise of Skywalker. The film is expected to serve as a lead-in to Dave Filoni’s climactic “Heir to the Empire” crossover event.

Additional projects remain in development, including Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s New Jedi Order film starring Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker, while reports indicate Shawn Levy’s Star Wars movie will be next to enter production following Jon Favreau’s Mando feature.

Meanwhile, Taika Waititi’s long-discussed Star Wars project appears to have been shelved, though Kathleen Kennedy has expressed interest in collaborating with him when scheduling allows. Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron, previously thought to be abandoned, is reportedly back in active development.

Lucasfilm’s TV slate remains in flux, with only Ahsoka Season 2 and Andor Season 2 officially moving forward. Ahsoka is expected to film this year for a 2026 release, though its placement in the timeline remains unclear given that The Mandalorian and Grogu is set to debut first. At present, Dave Filoni is the sole writer on the project.

Looking ahead, Bergman emphasized that Lucasfilm is focused on quality over quantity: “…we’re looking at a number of additional series that are in development. We’ll see what we decide to do. As I said earlier, they have to be great, and when we’re in the position where we think we have what we want, we’re going to move forward.”

With Star Wars in a transitional phase, the question remains: Will Lucasfilm’s evolving approach reignite fan enthusiasm, or will the galaxy far, far away continue to face growing uncertainty?

What do you think about the latest developments? Let us know in the comments!