Star Wars: The Acolyte fans call out toxic community members’ review bombing of series merch online.
Per ScreenRant, X user inkbluelily noted that T-shirt designs from Star Wars: The Acolyte were the latest subject of review bombings from irate “fans” who have decried the series’ “woke” themes and characters. Much to the dismay of other observers, many of these reviews contain blatantly contradictory statements and notes, including the suggestion that consumers should spend their money on structurally identical products bearing the branding from other entries in the Star Wars franchise.
Star Wars: The Acolyte, which starred Amandla Stenberg in a dual role, debuted on Disney+ on June 4 to largley positive reviews from critics and audiences, even in spite of being the subject of mass review bombing. The series starred Stenberg as both the former Jedi Padawan Verosha Aniseya and as her long-long sister Mae, who suffered on her own for years before taking up arms against the Jedi she believes to be responsible for her family’s downfall. The Acolyte quickly garnered a reputation for wantonly killing off seemingly key characters at unexpected moments, particularly Carrie-Ann Moss’ Jedi Master Indara in the series’ very first episode.
The Acolyte Was Canceled After One Season
On August 19, it was confirmed that Disney had canceled Star Wars: The Acolyte. Although creator and showrunner Leslye Headland and the cast of the series were hopeful for a continuation, the series was ultimately shelved after a single eight-episode season. In the days since, fans have started a fervent campaign to have the show brought back for a second season, with over 47,000 signatures being amassed via a Change.org petition barely a week after the news first broke.
Shortly after the series’ cancelation, star Lee Jung-jae, who portrayed Jedi Master Sol on Star Wars: The Acolyte, opened up about his take on the development. “As you know, my character had died already in the first season. So I wouldn’t have appeared in the second season if there was one anyway.” Lee went on to praise the series’ creative crew, particularly Headland’s work behind the scenes, explaining that “Personally speaking, I really loved Leslye’s writing. I thought that she was a great writer and director who was very talented in the storytelling… So I was actually personally really looking forward to watching a Season 2 with her at the helm.”
Star Wars: The Acolyte is now available for streaming on Disney+.