The Star Wars fandom has been shaken up following recent developments in the Disney+ series, “Star Wars: The Acolyte.” Despite the Disney CEO’s claim of wanting to prioritize entertainment over messaging, the Star Wars franchise continues to find a new bottom.
The newest eight-part series has not been well-received by fans, with descriptions such as a “new low” for Disney, who many in the Star Wars community say wrecks the lore anchoring the movies and shows.
Critics who support the series also acknowledge its “woke” flavor. Even top film critic Drew Taylor went as far as calling it “the gayest Star Wars yet by a considerable margin.”
Adding to the controversy was Episode 3’s inclusion of a “coven of lesbian space witches.” This storyline involved the Force being used to conceive twins, Mae and Osha, without any male involvement.
The shifts in the series are causing rifts amongst fans. One group believes Disney is violating the canon for diversity’s sake, while the other sees it as a refreshing update to the series.
However, the majority of the Star Wars fandom seems to disapprove of the new direction. The series registered an 84% rating from critics but fell to a lowly 14% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes after over 10,000 reviews, marking an all-time low for a Star Wars spin-off.
By the way the fact that series has gay relationships in it is not what makes it bad. The Disney + Star Wars Series Andor (geared for adults) was amazing, and two of the female characters were in a relationship. The series (which was more of a spy/espionage show than a Star Wars adventure) was excellent.
The problem with Acolyte is that it the principles behind it were obnoxious, stupid, and flew in the face of what the series originally represented.
Alan Ng, editor-in-chief of Film Threat, expressed his disappointment, stating, “I bought into this galaxy far, far away, and today I don’t recognize the place anymore.”
Agreeing with this sentiment, Matt McGloin criticized, “George Lucas should have never sold Star Wars. Star Wars is a complete joke. Disney is a complete joke.”
It amazes me how nobody burst out laughing in the writing, performing, scoring, and editing of this scene. Not even the Holiday Special contained anything as ridiculous and lore breaking as the Acolyte has thus far. https://t.co/ElVjNI9SLe
— Randy M.@theElusiveEye (@TheElusiveEye1) June 13, 2024
The series creator, Leslye Headland, has faced heavy criticism for her interpretation of the Star Wars canon. In response to the backlash, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy defended Headland, stating, “My belief is that storytelling needs to be representative of all people. That’s an easy decision for me.”
Christian Toto admitted there’s a part of the Star Wars fandom that remains highly suspicious of any new product, but they often have a valid point, given recent films and TV shows in the saga.
Disney has seemed to have found some success elsewhere. “Inside Out 2,” a Pixar production, has been warmly received. Raking in $155 million and earning rave reviews, the show serves as a reminder that Disney can still produce content that appeals to both critics and fans, without wading into culture war territory.
