The Acolyte Showrunner Wasn’t Surprised When It Got Canceled, And Explained Why She Has ‘No Regrets’

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The popular Star Wars franchise expanded into live-action television with The Mandalorian in 2019, and most of its TV shows have been well-received. However, The Acolyte was a rare exception, and was canceled after its first season. Despite the cancellation, the show’s creator, Leslye Headland, has said she doesn’t regret her work on the series, and explained her reasoning over a year after the decision was made.

Why Leslye Headland Wasn’t Surprised By The Acolyte’s Cancelation

Disney+’s series The Acolyte launched on June 4, 2024, concluding on July 16th. Though critics mostly liked the show, it proved divisive among viewers, and ratings decreased throughout the season. So, when creator Leslye Headland found out it wouldn’t be renewed for a second season, she wasn’t surprised. When asked by The Wrap whether low viewership or creative differences were the main reason for the cancellation, she responded:

It was a mix of both things, really. I wasn’t shocked it happened, but I was surprised by how quickly it unfolded and how public it became. I also wasn’t expecting the way it was dealt with. But when I started getting calls about the response – the criticism and how many people were watching – I knew for sure what was coming.

Despite receiving valid criticism, the Star Wars series The Acolyte also faced a surge of negative reviews and online harassment, especially aimed at its star, Amandla Stenberg. Setting aside the criticism, however, The Acolyte‘s viewership numbers haven’t been as strong as other Star Wars shows like The Mandalorian, Andor, and Ahsoka. As Headland explained…

It’s tricky to gauge how well the show did because, as I understand it, Star Wars shows aren’t just compared to other shows currently airing – they’re measured against the entire history of Star Wars content. We had a few peaks in the Nielsen ratings, though not consistently. Given this was a new show trying something different, I think giving its target audience time to discover it would have been worthwhile. Ultimately, that wasn’t my call, and I respect the decision, even though I’m disappointed.

This isn’t the first time a Star Wars project has underperformed financially under Disney’s ownership. The 2018 film Solo: A Star Wars Story earned only $393 million globally and was considered a box office failure. With The Acolyte, Disney and Lucasfilm decided not to renew the show for a second season because viewership wasn’t strong enough. While creator Leslye Headland was disappointed, she recognized the business decision.

Why Leslye Headland Doesn’t Regret Working On The Acolyte

I generally enjoyed The Acolyte, but I’m frustrated that some storylines from the first season’s ending weren’t wrapped up – especially knowing Manny Jacinto’s character was hinting at the Knights of Ren. The showrunner, Leslye Headland, has admitted the series was a gamble, as it introduced entirely new characters and took place in a previously unseen era of the Star Wars timeline. She explained that…

I understand any criticisms of the show are perfectly reasonable – people are bound to react, and often it’s a reaction to their own feelings. As we always knew, this show was a gamble. It’s like the saying goes, the first one to try something new often faces the biggest challenges. That same approach – aiming high and just going for it – really defined our company’s mindset.

Even though The Acolyte was canceled after one season, the show’s creator has positive memories of working on it. A lifelong Star Wars enthusiast, she enjoyed the chance to add to the Star Wars universe and continues to be a dedicated fan, stating:

I have zero regrets, especially when it comes to Star Wars – I’m still a huge fan! I genuinely loved working on the show, and looking back, I think the design team deserves most of the credit. Building the world of Star Wars is way harder than writing the story, the dialogue, or even the characters – that’s stuff I’m used to. My main job was finding and trusting incredibly talented people, and thankfully, everyone on that team was a genius.

Although The Acolyte has finished airing, there are still more Star Wars shows on the way. We can expect Season 2 of Ahsoka and Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord to debut in 2026. It’s also still uncertain whether Skeleton Crew will be renewed for another season.

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2025-11-22 06:10