Supporters of The Acolyte star Amandla Stenberg argue that the series was canceled because of alleged racism and bigotry by the fanbase.

The Acolyte became the most polarizing entry in the Star Wars universe and was canceled after just one season. However, the show’s cancellation is proving to be equally divisive if not more. Fans of the space opera franchise have debated about the reasons, merits, and demerits of the show’s cancellation on social media over the past week.

The Acolyte was canceled after just one season (Credits: Lucasfilm).

Amidst the discourse around the show’s axing, some fans came to the defense of lead star Amandla Stenberg. However, these fans argued that the show’s cancellation was intrinsically linked to the franchise’s fandom which was unwilling to accept a person of color in the lead role. Here is what Stenberg loyalists had to say about The Acolyte‘s cancelation.

Fans Defend Amandla Stenberg After The Acolyte Cancellation Sparks Racism Debate

The Acolyte starred Amandla Stenberg in the dual roles of twin sisters, Osha and Mae, who are at the center of the show’s overall narrative. The series received mixed reviews upon release, with criticism aimed at its performances, storytelling, and pacing.

Following the show’s cancellation, supporters of Stenberg took to the social media platform Threads, where they defended the actress. User @cbx_community argued that the show was canceled because a vocal minority was pushing against diversity in the series, stating:

Post by @cbx_community
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Furthermore, the post argued that the show’s cancellation resulted because of the negative online backlash against the series for having a person of color play its main lead. In response, here is what other Star Wars fans had to say about the series getting canceled because of alleged racism.

Post by @malcolm_flavell
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Post by @darjkthe12
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Post by @tayfunyugruk
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Post by @azisprite
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Post by @dragonxp45
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As the comments indicate, most fans had different rationale for why the argument that the series was a victim of alleged racist backlash was inaccurate.

However, most of the fanbase was in unison regarding their opinion of the series, criticizing it for its poor acting, storyline, and pacing issues. Therefore, fans felt that the negative reactions to the show had nothing to do with its push for diversity. Ultimately, not enough people watched and liked the series to warrant a second season.

The Acolyte Star Amandla Stenberg Breaks Silence on the Show’s Cancelation

Amandla Stenberg feels The Acolyte was a victim of hate and bigotry (Credit: Lucasfilm).

Following the cancelation of The Acolyte, series star Amandla Stenberg finally shared her thoughts through social media. The actress recently took to Instagram, where she posted a story discussing the show’s cancelation, revealing that she wasn’t surprised because of the online hate generated by The Acolyte.

I’m going to be transparent and say it’s not a huge shock for me. There has been a rampage of vitriol that we have faced since the show was even announced.

Stenberg made the above statement (via Variety) in a video posted on her stories, adding that the cast and crew experienced hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol, prejudice, hatred, and hateful language throughout the show’s run.

Meanwhile, Stenberg admitted that she was saddened by the show getting axed after just one season. However, she also called the opportunity of working in the Star Wars universe an honor and dream come true. Ultimately, Stenberg also opined that the show’s cancelation was because of the racist backlash and online hate aimed at the series.

The Acolyte is streaming on Disney+.