Disney+ cancels Star Wars spin-off after one season

Disney+ has reportedly axed its multimillion-dollar Star Wars spin-off series after just one season.

Disney+ has reportedly cancelled its latest Star Wars spin-off just weeks after the finale aired.

The Acolyte, yet another show in the ever-evolving Star Wars slate, premiered on the streamer in June to fairly lacklustre fanfare, despite the franchise’s diehard following.

Now, Deadline reports production company Lucasfilm has made the decision not to commission a second series, having spent a reported $180 million ($AU267.98 million) to produce the first season.

Amandla Stenberg in Lucasfilm’s The Acolyte, which has not been renewed for a second season. Picture: Disney+

Disney+, which first launched in 2019, has released six live-action Star Wars shows to date.

They include the first and by far most popular release, The Mandalorian, which debuted in late 2019. The Pedro Pascal-led series has maintained consistent viewership over its three seasons, with a feature film The Mandalorian & Grogu on the way in 2026.

It also cracked the all-important Zeitgeist in its first season, largely thanks to Baby Yoda buzz on social media.

Baby Yoda became an instant icon.

The Mandalorian was followed by The Book of Boba Fett in 2021, which copped fairly mixed reviews from critics.

Obi-Wan Kenobi looked more promising after premiering in 2022, before dropping its viewership by more than half by the time the finale aired, according to data obtained by Luminate.

Meanwhile Andor (2022) and Ahsoka (2023) both performed enough to be commissioned for second seasons.

The Acolyte, armed with eight episodes, was set 100 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (1999 film).

Created by Leslye Headland, who co-created Netflix’s Russian Doll, the premise revolved around a Jedi investigation into a series of crimes, starring Amandla Stenberg and Lee Jung-jae in lead roles.

While it debuted to decent numbers, with Disney announcing the series pulled 4.8 million views on its first day, Deadline reported it lost momentum swiftly, dropping out of the Top 10 in its third week, only making a return at 10th place for the finale several weeks later.

Disney+ has released six Star Wars live-action series’ to date, with more on the way. Picture: Chris Delmas/AFP

A possible Star Wars fatigue doesn’t bode too well for its upcoming seventh live-action series in the franchise, Skeleton Crew, which is slated for a December release with Jude Law in a starring role.

Taking place in the same era as The Mandalorian, it follows the journey of four children who embark on an adventure to find their way home after getting lost in the galaxy.

Excessive saturation has hurt Disney in recent years, with a barrage of Marvel titles failing to resonate following a blockbuster decade that came to an end in 2019 with the $US2.8 billion behemoth Avengers: Endgame.

Attempting to maintain a stronghold among fans following Endgame, the studio has pushed out more Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) content in the five years since than it had in the previous 12 years combined, stripping the brand of the event-level prestige it built.

Things are looking more optimistic going forward, with Deadpool & Wolverine smashing it at the box office, ticking over $US1 billion after just three weeks in cinemas.

Further, the MCU’s undisputed king Robert Downey Jr. is making a triumphant return to the franchise after his beloved character Iron Man/Tony Stark was killed saving the universe in Endgame.

Downey Jr. will play villain Doctor Doom in two upcoming Avengers movies, Avengers: Doomsday, due out in May 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars, set to be released in May 2027.

Originally published as Disney+ cancels Star Wars spin-off after one season