The Acolyte cast is now slowly breaking their silence after Disney canceled the controversial Star Wars series following just one season. The series faced significant criticism even before it premiered, making the cancellation unsurprising to some. After Manny Jacinto shared a bittersweet reaction to the show’s discontinuation despite his high hopes for a return, Lee Jung-jae has now addressed the issue.
Playing the role of Master Sol, Lee had a major part in The Acolyte. Sol died in the season finale after his former Padawan Osha (Amandla Stenberg) Force-choked him. Although he might not return in the now-canceled second season, he still expressed his love for the Disney+ series in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
“As you know, my character had died already in the first season. So, I wouldn't have appeared in the second season if there was one anyway,” he said. “But personally speaking, I really loved Leslye’s writing.”
Despite the massive hate showrunner Leslye Headland has received for being the first queer person to direct a Star Wars series, the Squid Game star praised Headland for being a great writer and director. He commended her great talent in storytelling and creating characters and meaningful structures within the story. Hence, like other fans who show their support for the show, he, too, is waiting for the second season to come.
“I was actually personally really looking forward to watching a Season 2 with her at the helm,” he continued. “To hear the news, I was quite surprised personally as well.”
But Lee isn’t losing hope yet. He’s hopeful that The Acolyte will still have a chance to continue and that changes will be made in the future. Nobody knows what will happen, so he’s looking forward to seeing more of Headland’s storytelling.
“You never know what's going to happen,” he added. “So, on a personal level, I really hope we could get to see further stories of Leslye’s second season.”
Leslye Headland Has a Lot of Plans for Star Wars: The Acolyte Season 2
The Acolyte ended with a major cliffhanger, with the surprising appearance of Darth Plagueis and Grand Master Yoda in the season finale. The show also left several unanswered questions, like Qimir / the Stranger’s (Jacinto) origins and his connection to Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson). As the series seemingly set up a return for a second season, Headland has a lot of plans for the now-canceled The Acolyte Season 2.
In an earlier interview with EW, the series creator admitted that Yoda and Plagueis’ cameos set up compelling future storylines. Yoda might have a bigger role to play after meeting Vernestra following the cover-up she did about the numerous deaths of the Jedi, blaming it all on Sol. Plagueis, alternatively, is believed to be connected with Qimir after he is seen watching over him and Osha on the Unknown Planet.
In addition, she teased more about Vernestra and Qimir’s relationship will be revealed in Season 2. Qimir confessed to Osha that he was a former Jedi and later showed a mysterious scar on his back, which many assumed was caused by Vernestra’s lightwhip. The season finale also hinted at their connection after Vernestra mentioned to Mae her pupil who had turned bad. That said, Headland wanted to continue their story in the supposed The Acolyte Season 2.
“I think if we're allowed to continue telling this story, you'll see more of Vern's history with the Stranger and how that's affecting the decisions she's making now,” she told EW in a separate interview.
Sadly, although Headland didn’t want to leave viewers hanging with the many loose ends featured in the show, Disney canceled The Acolyte. So, as Lee and other fans hope, the show may still have a chance to continue, though it seems unlikely at this point.
All episodes of The Acolyte are available on Disney+.
