No other Star Wars project caused so much controversy as The Acolyte. Since Disney’s takeover of Lucasfilm, numerous Star Wars projects have been targeted and criticized by the fans, but nothing compares to the level of controversy caused by this series, as it basically turned into an all-out hate campaign against the show by those calling themselves “true fans.”

As you know, The Acolyte is not getting a second season with Lucasfilm after eight episodes, and although fans had been hoping for a second season, it was recently confirmed that the series will not be coming back. But, this report won’t actually be on the fate of the series – it’s canceled and that’s that – but about how it could have been better.

The Acolyte had an intriguing premise, for sure, and it had the potential to spark a series of Old Republic shows that would lead into the Prequel Trilogy. However, for various reasons, the show failed to live up to its expectations. At the same, we think that the potential could’ve been used in a better way had Kathleen Kennedy entrusted the show to another female director rather than Leslye Headland.

As for the story of The Acolyte, Lucasfilm heavily invested in the series and its marketing, expecting it would be as successful as The Mandalorian or Ahsoka. The series was intended to be a significant prequel effort.

However, even before the show premiered, many toxic “fans” began disparaging it due to its diverse cast and female lead characters, and the cast and crew’s remarks, some of which directly provoked these “fans,” only served to stoke their hatred.

All of this culminated in a never-before-seen campaign of hate and review bombing, but the show’s ultimate cancelation was the result not of this, but of the fact that it was a show with many issues.

While we could point the finger at several people, it is a fact that showrunner Leslye Headland is definitely the major “culprit” here, as she was supposed to make sure that the series became a hit. Instead, Headland took it online to fight against the toxic “fans” and to treat the show as her own property, which – of course – did not sit well with everyone.

At the same time, we have to ask ourselves: could The Acolyte been better? We mean, with the same cast and characters and the same premise, that is. Could it have been? We think that Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm had a brilliant way of executing that and that way is – Bryce Dallas Howard!

The actress and director is one of the most popular names in Hollywood today, and she has experience with the franchise. She has directed episodes of The Mandalorian, and these episodes were received brilliantly.

This is why many fans have been calling for Lucasfilm to give Howard the chance to direct a movie or her own show. She obviously understands the franchise, and she knows how to make a great show.

Had Howard been there, the show could’ve kept the premise and the characters, but knowing her previous work, we’re more than certain that the major issues that the series had under Headland would’ve been eliminated.

Howard would’ve probably made a more compelling and coherent series, something that The Acolyte had the potential to be, and we think it is a shame that such an interesting project fell apart when a better solution was right there under our noses.

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