The newest Star Wars series The Acolyte took viewers nearly one-hundred years into the past before the events of The Phantom Menace. However, its story was cut short after the announcement that The Acolyte has been canceled by Disney Plus. Now some fans have launched an online petition to get The Acolyte renewed.
The series has faced backlash and divisiveness from fans ever since it was released. The storyline, which largely revolves around new characters and different settings than what fans are used to, was heavily criticized. Similarly, some fans complained that the new characters and plot elements were too “woke” compared to past Star Wars projects.
Ultimately, the series failed to reach the viewership numbers of other successful Star Wars projects, and it seems to be the reason why Disney chose not to renew the show for a second season. Nevertheless, some fans are desperate for a renewal, especially with the series having ended on a cliffhanger. As noted in the below Change.org petition:
“The Acolyte opened the doors for so many Star Wars fans, new and old, to feel seen. To feel welcomed and accepted by an IP and fandom that hadn’t previously been so for anyone who didn’t check off certain boxes. Not only that, but The Acolyte became a beacon for representation that many fans have felt was lacking in the Star Wars universe for decades.”
The petition adds that the creators of the Disney Plus series “truly understood” the Star Wars universe:
“With both creators and actors that truly understood the world of Star Wars, The Acolyte quickly became a fan favorite because of the clear passion and love shown in the work, and the drive to give us something new and fresh to fall in love with. New characters with new stories that still existed within the same galaxies we cherished.”
In conclusion, the creator of the petition believes that the fanbase for the series is “very dedicated” and any criticisms merely come from “a small fraction of loud trolls” who chose to review bomb The Acolyte:
“Regardless of the orchestrated review bombing by a small faction of loud trolls, and all of the other obstacles this show had to face straight out the gate, it trended repeatedly throughout and after the show aired. It has a very dedicated fanbase, willing to fight for its continuation. It’s a story that deserves to be told.”
As of this writing, the petition holds close to 50,000 signatures. It’s likely that it will only continue to grow as the piece reaches more fans.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for more Star Wars news as we have it. Though it’s unknown if this petition will successfully convince Disney to give The Acolyte another shot, it’s likely that the company is eager to move onto other stories. After all, there are plenty of other Star Wars projects in the works. But that doesn’t mean The Acolyte won’t go without being referenced in any of them.