‘The Acolyte’ Season 2? The Good News And Bad News

The Acolyte finished its first season with a final episode on Tuesday, concluding the Osha/Sol storyline. However, there are still many unresolved plot points that could have a big impact on the overall Star Wars universe. The question now is whether Disney will greenlight a second season of The Acolyte. There are both positive and negative aspects to consider as Disney deliberates on the future of the show.

Cost - It is estimated that the production of this show will cost around $180 million. This is comparable to the budget of a major Hollywood movie, however Disney will not be making money from ticket sales. Disney has recognized that they have been spending too much and producing too many Star Wars and Marvel projects, and have decided to cut back. It remains to be seen if this will impact the renewal of The Acolyte for a second season, especially considering its high cost.

Audience Numbers - Disney keeps the exact number of viewers for its shows a secret, but they like to boast when they are high. However, several outside analytics companies have predicted that The Acolyte may have the lowest viewership of any Star Wars show produced by Disney, even lower than Andor, which was previously the least popular. Some YouTubers and Twitter users may say it's because the show isn't good, but critics and many of its new fans would argue against that.

The primary reason it ranks lower than the other series is because, unlike Andor, it doesn't feature any main Star Wars characters (except for brief cameos in the finale). This sets it apart from the larger series in the franchise. The Mandalorian introduced a character similar to Boba Fett and had the popular Baby Yoda, Grogu. In contrast, The Acolyte takes place in a different century from all other Star Wars content. Even Andor includes characters from Rogue One and directly ties into that movie. It's a challenge to attract viewers to a new cast in a new era.

The High Republic - Disney has come to understand that they have exhausted the possibilities of the Skywalker era. They are now working on a new film that looks ahead to the future, starring Daisy Ridley as Rey. This new film comes after the characters Luke and Han have passed away, as well as the real-life death of Carrie Fisher.

Returning to previous times, Disney has created The High Republic as a collection of books, with the intention of showcasing this time period in The Acolyte as its initial live-action debut. It would be disappointing if the show was abruptly cancelled after just one season, potentially squashing the opportunity to further delve into this era that they have strongly committed to exploring.

Dave Filoni is currently overseeing the creative direction of Star Wars. Despite some criticisms of showrunner Leslye Headland's narrative choices, it is widely believed that Filoni ultimately approved them, indicating that they reflect his vision for the franchise. As a result, it is likely that season 2 will also align with his vision for Star Wars.

Headland has a clear plan for season 2 of the show. She has mentioned in several interviews that she has specific ideas in mind. It seems like Darth Plagueis and Yoda will be part of the second season. Even Rebecca Henderson, who plays Vernestra and is Headland's real-life wife, hinted on Instagram that her character's story will continue. However, we should remember that this is not an official confirmation of the show's renewal.

The question is whether Disney will continue to fund a costly show that didn't have a large viewer base in order to further expand the High Republic and resolve the interesting plots introduced in season 1. I'm truly unsure of their decision.

Don't forget to connect with me on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Grab a copy of my science fiction books, including the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.