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Disney+'s latest Star Wars series, The Acolyte, was canceled after one season. Star Amandla Stenberg is not surprised by the news.
She took to her Instagram Story (via Deadline) to talk about the cancellation. She first showed appreciation to the fans who supported the Star Wars series. Still, she is not surprised by what went down due to the “rampage of vitriol” that it faced.
“I'm gonna be transparent and say that it's not a huge shock for me,” Stenberg said. “Of course, I live in the bubble of my own reality, but for those who aren't aware, there has been a rampage of vitriol that we have faced since the show was even announced, when it was still just a concept, and no one had even seen it.”
She would go on to describe the attacks towards the cast as “hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol, prejudiced hatred, and hateful language.”
It did affect Stenberg upon taking the job. She stated that it “really affected” her, though the whole experience has also “moved” her.
“Even though I anticipated it happening, it's not something you can fully understand what it feels like until it's happening to you,” she added. “However, I feel like I've kinda been moved through those feelings in various ways, including being vocal about it myself. For me, it just became a situation where there was no option but for me to honor my sense of ethics and my belief system and my value system while being in this very unique situation.”
Ultimately, being a part of Star Wars and The Acolyte was an “incredible honor and dream” for Stenberg despite it being canceled. Stenberg seems happy to have made the series.
What is Star Wars: The Acolyte?
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The Acolyte is the latest Star Wars Disney+ series after the likes of The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka. It takes place at the end of the High Republic era, well before the events of the Skywalker saga. A series of crimes occurs and a Jedi investigation is launched in turn.
Amandla Stenberg leads the ensemble, pulling double duty as both Osha and Mae Aniseya. They are twin sisters and Stenberg had to play both parts. Lee Jung-jae, Charlie Barnett, Dafne Keen, Rebecca Henderson, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Carrie-Anne Moss also starred in the series.
The Acolyte was created by Leslye Headlan. She is best known for creating Russian Dolls with Natasha Lyonne and Amy Poehler. She also the first two episodes of the Star Wars series.
Stenberg has been acting for over a decade, starting her career with supporting roles in The Hunger Games, Sleepy Hollow, and Rio 2. Her breakthrough came in 2018's The Hate U Give, an adaptation of Angie Thomas' novel of the same name. Regina Hall, KJ Apa, Sabrina Carpenter, and Anthony Mackie also starred in it.
She continued her career by starring in Dear Evan Hansen, Bodies Bodies Bodies, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Coming up, Stenberg will reprise her role of Spider-Byte in Beyond the Spider-Verse.
