Disney Executive Explains Why STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE Was Canceled After One Season

A lot of fans weren’t happy when Disney canceledStar Wars: The Acolyteafter only one season, especially because it was setting some things up for the future that they wanted to see play out.

There was never a clear answer as to why the series was canceled, but during a recent interview, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment Alan Bergman reveals why they was decided not to keep the series going.

Bergman told Vulture: “We were happy with our performance, but it wasn’t where we needed it to be given the cost structure of that title, quite frankly, to go and make a season two. So that’s the reason why we didn’t do that.”

There was some speculation that the negative backlash the Star Wars community contributed to the decision to cancel the show, but these recent comments are in line with what was previously reported:

"Insiders explain that The Acolyte was canceled because viewership was bad, and that there’s really nothing more to it than that even though at least one cast member said they were surprised by the decision.

“I’m told that The Acolyte’s viewership collapsed following the first two episodes, whereas with Andor, viewership steadily climbed throughout the season, so the show was renewed for Season 2. Andor also drew exceptional reviews, whereas The Acolyte’s reviews were more mixed.”

Bergman went on to tease the second and final season of Andor, saying: “It is excellent. I’ve watched all the episodes, and it is a fantastic season.” He also noted that a second season of Ahsoka is coming and has “a number of additional series that are in development.”

When it comes to Star Wars: The Skeleton Crew, Bergman says that they’ve “seen some growth on that” show and noted that the series has had “excellent” reviews, adding, “So we’ll have to see how that all plays out as it moves forward.”

While The Acolyte was a hit with some critics, with 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, it divided Star Wars fans, which was reflected in its overall viewership. A lot of Star Wars fans trashed the series and things got really ugly there for a bit.

Regardless, the fans of the series did try to push for a Season 2 with #RenewTheAcolyte, which trended on X for a bit. But, the support wasn’t strong enough to make Disney want to do it.