Has Disney Plus already cancelled ‘The Acolyte?’

The Acolyte has been in the works for a long time. Way back in 2020, which feels almost as long ago now as the High Republic era, Russian Doll showrunner Leslye Headland was announced to be working on a Star Wars TV show. Finally, four years later, the resulting series has hit streaming.

Unfortunately, despite its long uphill battle to reach our screens, it seems some are already wishing it away. Rumors have swirled that Lucasfilm had secretly already pulled the plug on The Acolyte before its first season had even begun airing. But is there any truth to this? Could the series be heading for the fastest canceling in the Star Wars universe since Gina Carano?

Is The Acolyte returning after season 1?

As of the time of writing, no, The Acolyte is not cancelled. At least, not according to any reliable or confirmed reportage. The murmurings that the series — starring Amandla Stenberg as a Sith apprentice and set 100 years before The Phantom Menace — is already over come from That Park Place. The rumor claimed that “an alleged insider at Lucasfilm” directly told them that Disney is not moving forward with future seasons.

This would certainly contradict Headland’s plans for The Acolyte, as the writer/producer pitched a full series bible to Lucasfilm when getting the show greenlit in 2020, and has been open about her plans to expand on her love letter to the Star Wars mythos if she gets the chance. Early reviews aren’t entirely positive, however, and the fan reaction is equally mixed, although much of the negative noise is being generated by the sort of fans who’ve complained about everything released since 1999.

Disney Plus is certainly no stranger to betraying Lucasfilm shows — R.I.P. Willow — so we’ll have to wait until The Acolyte concludes airing its eight-part season in July before any official word comes out on its potential second season. Will it be a one-off wonder like Obi-Wan Kenobi or a returning fave like The Mandalorian? Time, and streaming data, will tell.