Star Wars: The Acolyte Star Details Emotional Response to Show’s Cancellation

Star Wars: The Acolyte star Dafne Keen, who played the young Padawan Jecki, shares her response to the show being cancelled after a single season. At the Saturn Awards, the actress spoke with Screen Rant and opened up about Disney pulling the plug on The Acolyte. “It’s definitely, I think, overwhelming for all of us,” Keen said, describing the mixed emotions of the cast and crew. While the situation was certainly disappointing for everyone involved, Keen added that they “were all very proud of what we created.” In particular, she praised The Acolyte star Amandla Stenberg for how she handled the aftermath.

Reflecting on her time in the galaxy far, far away, Keen is happy she was able to be part of a Star Wars project. “And honestly, I’m a huge nerd myself, so I was just really happy that I got to play a Jedi,” she said. “Bucket list ticked.”

Shortly after The Acolyte‘s lone season wrapped last summer, Disney officially cancelled the series, citing high costs (The Acolyte had a $230 million budget). The show’s creative team had planned on developing additional seasons, following up on the Darth Plagueis and Yoda cameos featured in the finale. In the months since Disney’s decision, other Acolyte cast members have shared their reactions; Manny Jacinto, who portrayed fan-favorite character The Stranger, said it’s now a life goal of his to get Season 2 off the ground.

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While The Acolyte won’t be getting a second season, Lucasfilm is using other mediums to further explore the show’s characters. Jecki and Yord (who both died on The Acolyte), will be featured in the upcoming canon novel The Crystal Crown. The book releases in July. Wookiee Jedi Kelnacca was the focus of a prequel comic published last September.

The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland envisioned three seasons when she began work on the series. Though Jecki died on the fifth episode, it’s likely Keen was aware of Headland’s long-term goals, making her reaction to the cancellation understandable. As a fan, it was probably thrilling for her to portray a Jedi and help set the stage for potentially a new era of Star Wars storytelling. The Acolyte was the first time Lucasfilm depicted the High Republic era on-screen, telling a narrative far removed from the Skywalker Saga (while still having some key connections). For it to fall apart before the plan was fully realized had to have been a devastating blow for the cast and crew — especially with The Acolyte being subject to review bombing throughout its brief run.

Had The Acolyte continued, it would have been interesting to see what Headland and her team had in store; those Plagueis and Yoda teases were tantalizing morsels that had potential to deliver some exciting twists and turns. Perhaps the show’s story will continue through other avenues. The cancellation didn’t stop Lucasfilm from bringing Acolyte characters to published materials, so there might be a future there. Considering how much on The Acolyte was left unresolved, it would be nice if novels or comics gave it the proper conclusion it deserved.