When The Acolyte was cancelled after a single season on Disney+, fans of Leslye Headland’s Star Wars series were left with all kinds of questions. What was the deal with Manny Jacinto’s dark and dangerous Stranger? What would become of Amandla Stenberg’s Osha after her turn to the dark side? And where would those teases of Yoda and Darth Plagueis have led? Without a second season, we’ll never know – but fresh hope for the show arose recently when it re-charted on Disney+, around the release of Maul: Shadow Lord.
As more audiences caught up with The Acolyte years on, Empire spoke to Headland – who expressed that she would return if a second season of the show ever got the green light. “I would still want to do it! Absolutely,” she says. “As more people discover it, I think people may want to see some form of the story come back.” While a chapter of the story closed at the end of the season, Headland is clear on where she wanted to go next. “We did have a lot of stuff that we wanted to explore — including tying in lore to the sequels,” she teases. “Getting into who exactly Manny’s character is, his connection with [Jedi Master] Vernestra, his connection with Plagueis, and then his connection with other sequel-established things.”
For now, fans can binge Season 1 without waiting a week between episodes – a viewing experience Headland recommends. “It was designed that way,” she says. And in a galaxy rife with possibilities, there may come a time for The Acolyte to, somehow, return. “The weather changes with Star Wars,” she says. “There was a real negative reaction to [the Prequels], especially from a particular generation. And 25 years later, Hayden [Christensen] is at Celebration.” Trust in the Force.
Read Empire’s full story on The Acolyte in the Spider-Man: Brand New Day issue, on sale now. Order a copy online here. The Acolyte is streaming now on Disney+.
