Summary
Star Warsactor John Boyega, who played Finn in the sequel trilogy, has shown support forThe Acolyte’sAmandla Stenberg in light of the racism Stenberg has been subjected to followingThe Acolyte’scancelation.The Acolytewas recently confirmed not to be returning for a second season, which has come on the heels of months ofbacklash towardsThe Acolyteand vitriol targeted at the show and its cast. However,The Acolyteis far from the first ofStar Wars’movies and TV showsto receive this type of response, which is precisely why Boyega’s support is so significant.
A post byAmandla Stenbergon Instagram discussing her time onThe Acolytehas become flooded with negative comments following the news thatThe Acolytewill not have a season 2. In addition to the many messages of support on the post combating the negativity, John Boyega shared a meme of Harrison Ford as Han Solo saluting in the original trilogy.
Notably,the other actors ofThe Acolytedo not seem to be receiving the same treatment that Amandla Stenberg is; Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, and Rebecca Henderson all have recent Instagram posts that do not have a similar number or degree of negative comments compared to Stenberg’s.
The Acolyte’s Cancelation Leaves The Future Of Star Wars TV In Doubt
Sadly, Star Wars has officially canceled The Acolyte, and that raises serious questions about what the future of Star Wars' TV shows will look like.
The Acolyte’s “Haters” Are Showing The Dark Side Of Star Wars Fandom
Sadly,The Acolyteis nowhere near the first ofStar Wars’movies and shows to receive such animosity. This behavior began long ago, with theStar Warsprequel trilogy. As is well-known now, both Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best and young Anakin Skywalker actor Jake Lloyd were bullied viciously by the media and viewers alike. In fact, it’s worth mentioning that Best also ‘liked’ Amandla Stenberg’s post on Instagram. Following that trilogy, the hatred ramped up with the sequel trilogy, much of it targeted at John Boyega and Daisy Ridley.
OtherStar Warsnewcomers, such as Moses Ingram, who playedthe Imperial InquisitorReva inObi-Wan Kenobi, have also been subjected to this treatment. In Ingram’s case, Ewan McGregor himself even took to social media to highlight how disturbing he found the racist messages being sent to Ingram.
Unfortunately,this is clearly becoming much more than a pattern in the franchise; it is becoming the norm.
Not only is this terrible for the actors and the creators of these movies and shows, it is also simply bad for the franchise. Tearing down any new piece of media and the people who have worked on it does nothing to serve the future of the franchise. Clearly, this type of bullying and harassment can lead to cancelations. Ultimately, it’s unclear why that would be an objective of anyone who is truly a fan of the franchise. Presumably, anyone who lovesStar Warsshould want to see the franchise succeed, not fail.
Moreover, it’s impossible to ignore who is often at the center of the backlash. It isn’t coincidental that Best, Boyega, and Stenberg are finding common ground in their experience of theStar Warsfanbase. Hopefully, asStar Warsmoves forward, changes will be made that protect the franchise’s actors, although what that protection could look like remains to be seen. For now, though, it’s nice to see previousStar Warsactors stepping up in defense ofThe Acolyte’sAmandla Stenberg.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
