Shocked by The Acolyte cancellation? Brace yourself for more bad news

One of the most talked-about shows to debut in 2024 was The Acolyte, a Star Wars spin-off series on Disney+ that featured Amandla Stenberg as twins Osha and Mae, who seemingly represented opposite sides of the force. The show was unique, as it took place 100 years before the rise of the Empire, and explored interesting themes like the unchecked power of the Jedi during this time, the origins of the “dark side,” and how the force was used in different cultures across the galaxy. The cast was very diverse, and featured a fresh story that, while unfortunately stunted by the series’ abrupt 8-episode first season, showed promise for future seasons.

However, all hopes for the future of The Acolyte were dashed this week when Lucasfilm quietly confirmed that a second season of this series would not be produced. Instantly, social media lit up with users discussing what they believed to be the reason for the cancelation. Many blamed some of the more toxic corners of the Star Wars fandom, hypothesizing that the series’ focus on diversity made it an instant target for cancelation. X owner Elon Musk even got in on the discourse, suggesting in a post that a so-called “woke” ideology was behind the show’s premature ending.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Elon Musk, as well as others who are celebrating a perceived cultural victory with the ending of The Acolyte, are completely wrong about why it was canceled, as the decision not to continue with this show is more about the current economics of streaming then anything at all to do with the series’ content.

Why was The Acolyte canceled?

It’s not for the reason you might think

Disney

Just a few weeks ago, Disney announced that its combined streaming portfolio, which includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, turned a profit for the first time ever, bringing in $47 million from April through June. This is a big deal as just a year prior the streaming segment was losing a billion dollars per quarter, according to company CFO Hugh Johnston, who was talking to investors about the financial win during a company earnings call. This profit is officially due to several factors: the rollout of ads on Disney+/Hulu, the strong performance of sports on ESPN, and consumer interest in streaming bundles . However, unofficially, Disney+ is cutting costs in a major way, which includes greenlighting fewer shows, cutting back episodes of existing series, and of course making budget trims where possible.

Though it may feel easy to blame the cancelation on the more toxic corners of the Star Wars fandom or the volume of online discourse, the fact of the matter is that The Acolyte was canceled because it didn’t garner enough views. Though it was less publicized, this is also why other Star Wars projects, including Obi Wan Kenobi and The Book of Boba Fett were also one-and-done affairs. Some may argue that these were always planned to be single-season miniseries from the start, but I’d argue that if they had been massive, cultural hits on par with The Mandalorian, Disney would have found a way to bring them back for additional episodes. But because they were only modest hits, Disney left them on the shelf as padding for its Star Wars content hub on Disney+, never to be mentioned again.

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Disney

While the cancelation of The Acolyte certainly stings, it won’t be the last major show to get the axe, as Disney looks to protect the profitability of its streaming service. And Disney isn’t the only one looking to cut costs. Paramount+ just went through a huge round of layoffs, Netflix continues to cancel popular shows , and even Max is cutting corners on its biggest hit, House of the Dragon, in a way that has incensed both creatives and viewers .

Sadly, the reality of the current streaming landscape is that with prices on the rise, and ads everywhere you look, consumers are being more choosy about what services they will pay for, which is resulting in less revenue for streaming companies, which means fewer shows will be produced. And then, of course, this creates a self-perpetuating cycle, as when fewer shows are produced, subscribers are even less likely to pay for streaming services, creating a downward spiral with no end in sight.

While it is unfortunate that a show like The Acolyte wasn’t given adequate time (or episodes) to find an audience, it won’t be the last show to be canceled after failing to become an overnight sensation. In fact this is just the first shot in what will likely be a major contraction across the streaming landscape, where we see not only more shows ending prematurely, but also fewer shows greenlit in the first place. The Acolyte was an interesting show with an intriguing premise, but unfortunately the economics of streaming no longer allow for big swings with interesting ideas, as we’re entering a phase where only guaranteed hits with pre-established, popular characters (or actors ) will be produced, as profits take precedence over creativity.

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