Amandla Stenberg was not shocked by the cancellation of “The Acolyte” and reflects on the “rage rampage” surrounding the show

Amandla Stenberg, the star of “Star Wars: The Acolyte,” took to Instagram to thank her fans for their support while reflecting on what she called the “rampage of vitriol” surrounding the series, which was canceled after one season on Disney+.

“I'll be completely frank and say it's not a huge shock to me. Of course, I was in my own bubble of reality, but for those who don't know, we've been on a rampage since the show was announced. When it was just a concept and no one had seen it yet,” Stenberg said in a lengthy video posted on Instagram.

“And then we started experiencing a flood of, I would say, hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol. Prejudice, hatred and hate speech towards us. And that really affected me when I got the job, because it's not something you can fully understand until it happens to you.”

Stenberg went on to address what they called a “hyper-divisive” atmosphere that contributed to the backlash against The Acolyte, while also taking the time to thank the fans who “loved and appreciated” them.

“I'm still very lighthearted and happy that I got to experience that, that people loved it and were so responsive. I looked at a lot of different versions of fan art, ship art, fan theories that were just so beautiful and filled my heart with joy,” Stenberg said, “and I just want to say to the people out there who supported us in that way and supported us loudly despite all the vitriol we received, you were deeply loved and appreciated.”

Stenberg also thanked Lucasfilm, saying that working on the show had been a “really beautiful, inspiring and life-changing experience,” as well as showrunner Leslye Headland, calling her “one of the best people in the world.”

Stenberg wasn't the only person to react to the cancellation of The Acolyte. Co-star Lee Jung-jae had previously expressed surprise at the decision to end the series after just one season, and hoped that Headland would find a way to continue The Acolyte's story.

Ultimately, we had mixed feelings about The Acolyte, writing in our review: “Set even longer ago in a galaxy far, far away, The Acolyte feels fresh and different from other recent live-action Star Wars series, with an intriguing storyline that seems to set the stage for the return of the Sith we know is coming.”

“Aside from the exciting Jedi fight scenes, however, the execution sometimes feels a little off, with frequent cheesy moments and a lack of visual flair, adding to the lingering concern that all these Star Wars streaming series have diminished the epic nature of the franchise and what makes it so special. On its own, The Acolyte offers some entertaining character dynamics and a tantalizing mystery, but the first four episodes fail to combine into anything truly brilliant. But look, there's a Wookiee Jedi, and that's always a plus.”

Still, The Acolyte introduced the world to the Master, also known as The Stranger, played by Manny Jacincto, who was generally well-liked by fans. The show also had many unresolved storylines and burning questions, which left some fans hoping for more.

Stenberg concluded by asking what they thought was the cause of the divide on The Acolyte, attributing it to “echo chambers of thought and algorithms that reinforce our biases.” They urged viewers to “continue to question” what they see and “think critically about what shapes it.”

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Kat Bailey is IGN's Director of News and co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? DM her at @the_katbot.