Star Wars: The Acolyte star Amandla Stenberg took to Instagram to thank fans for their support while reflecting on what they referred to as a "rampage of vitriol" around the show, which was canceled after one season on Disney+.
"I'm going to be transparent and say that it's not a huge shock for me. Of course I was in the bubble of my own reality, but for those who aren't aware there's been a rampage of vitriol that we've faced since the show was even announced. When it was still just a concept and no one had even seen it," Stenberg said in a lengthy video posted to Instagram.
"And that's when we started experiencing a rampage of I would say hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol. Prejudice, hatred, and hateful language toward us. And this really affected me when I first got the job, because it's not something you can fully understand what it feels like until it's happening to you."
Stenberg went on to address what they called the "hyper-divisive" environment that helped spur the backlash against The Acolyte while also taking the time to thank the fans, who they said were "loved and appreciated."
"I still feel a lot of levity and joy around the fact that I got to experience it, and that people loved it, and that people were so responsive. I poured through a lot of different iterations of fan art and ship art and fan theories that were just so beautiful and filled my heart with joy," Stenberg said, "and I just want to let those people out there who supported us in that way, and supported us vocally in the face of all the vitriol we received... just that you were deeply loved and appreciated."
Stenberg also thanked Lucasfilm, saying that working on the show was a "really beautiful, energizing, life-changing experience," and showrunner Leslye Headland, who they described as "one of the best people in the world."
Stenberg wasn't the only person to respond to the cancellation of The Acolyte. Co-star Lee Jung-jae previously expressed surprise over the decision to end the series after just one season, and said they hoped that Headland would find a way to continue The Acolyte's story.
Ultimately we were mixed on The Acolyte, writing in our review, "Setting its story in a longer, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away allows The Acolyte to feel fresh and different from other recent live-action Star Wars series, with an intriguing storyline that seems to be setting the stage for the return of the Sith we know is coming.
However, outside of its exciting Jedi fight scenes its execution sometimes feels off, with frequent cheesy moments and a lack of visual flair that contributes to the ongoing concern that all these Star Wars streaming series have diminished the epic nature of the franchise and what makes it special. Taken on its own terms, The Acolyte does offer some enjoyable character dynamics and an enticing mystery, but its first four episodes fail to coalesce into something that truly shines. But look, it does have a wookiee Jedi, and that’s always a plus."
Still, The Acolyte gave the world The Master, aka The Stranger, played by Manny Jacincto, who was broadly a hit with fans. The show also had plenty of unresolved plot threads and burning questions, which left some fans hoping for more.
Stenberg finished by talking about what they felt drove some of the diviseness that impacted The Acolyte, chalking it up to "echo chambers of thought and algorithms that reinforce our biases." They challenged viewers to "continue questioning" what is they watch, and to "think critically about what shapes it."
For more, check out the rest of the biggest shows releasing in 2024.
Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
