The week began with the heartbreaking news that Disney canceled Star Wars: The Acolyte after just one season, leading to mixed reactions. Some celebrated the cancellation and flooded Amandla Stenberg’s Instagram with hateful comments, while others supported the show by starting an online petition. Although showrunner Leslye Headland and the cast have remained silent, Manny Jacinto, who plays Qimir / the Stranger, shared a bittersweet reaction to the cancellation.
In an Instagram post, Jacinto shared a photo with his The Acolyte co-star Stenberg as they stood hand in hand on the beach in Madeira, Portugal, the Unknown Planet in the series. This scene was part of the season finale, where the two agreed to work together as the master and apprentice and seemed to be looking forward to what was in store for them. Though the Filipino-Canadian actor said nothing about it, his heart caption said it all.
The comment section of Jacinto’s post was filled with support from fans and his fellow actors alike. The Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu wanted justice for Jacinto after doing so much good in the show. He even said that his dedication to his role was apparent. Despite the cancellation, he knew bigger and brighter things would come Jacinto’s way.
“Rooting for you always,” he continued.
Back then, this scene symbolized Qimir and Osha’s (Stenberg) hope to continue their adventure in the galaxy far, far away together if The Acolyte Season 2 happened. But now that Disney has canceled the show, it serves as an emotional reflection of their time together as they finished working on the series.
Manny Jacinto Wants to Explore Oshamir Dynamics in Star Wars: The Acolyte Season 2
Fans started shipping for Osha and Qimir and even coined the term “Oshamir” after seeing their romantic chemistry in The Acolyte Episode 6. With the positive reception, Jacinto himself wanted to explore the brewing relationship between his and Stenberg’s characters in The Acolyte Season 2. And though he earlier teased that there would be more of Oshamir in the now-canceled second season, it would sadly not happen anymore.
In an interview with GQ, the 37-year-old star believed that people had been yearning to see more romantic relationships in the Star Wars universe. He himself loved this idea and saw fans encouraging it, so he promised it would be explored in the next season.
“So, I think people can look forward to more of that, possibly,” he said. “If people want it, we can explore that in a subsequent season.”
Stenberg, on the other hand, told Entertainment Weekly that their scene on the beach on the Unknown Planet was Jacinto’s idea. It was meant to show the political alignment between the two, though it was added with the intimacy of their shared vision and power.
“Manny came up with instead of holding hands, they're going to hold the lightsaber together, which we just thought was awesome,” she explained.
So far, Jacinto is the first The Acolyte star to share his reaction after the cancellation. As he has been actively promoting the show, as evident by his recent appearance at D23 2024, fans may soon hear from him.
All episodes of The Acolyte are available on Disney+.
