New reports have gone more into the cancellation of “The Acolyte” and have indicated a recent rumor about Keanu Reeves being up for a role in the series was accurate. indicates a scheduling conflict reportedly prevented Reeves from signing on for the role of Master Sol, the part ultimately going to “Squid Game” star Lee Jung-jae. Lucasfilm still wants him for a “Star Wars” project so expect plenty of speculation about that in the coming months and years.
Regarding “The Acolyte,” showrunner Leslye Headland and the studio itself were reportedly planning a second season up until recently with “The Hot Mic” co-host reporting that the studio was putting together a writer’s room for the second season as far back as February. In addition, he claims they were quietly inquiring about the interest level and availability of directors for a second season as recently as last month. Now though, it’s not happening.
Despite the negative backlash from the fandom, the cancellation came down to one simple factor – viewership. The Insneider report indicates viewership collapsed following the first two episodes. That differs from something like “Andor”, where viewership steadily climbed throughout the season – making a second-season renewal more likely.
“Andor” also benefited from exceptional reviews as opposed to a much more mixed response to “The Acolyte”. Concerns from some parts of the fandom now are that the series may end up like “Willow” – being removed from the service with no other way to watch it..
