
The past year has been anything but smooth sailing for Lucasfilm. After the polarizing reception of The Acolyte, the Star Wars franchise shifted focus to Skeleton Crew, the latest Disney+ addition to the galaxy far, far away.
The Acolyte, set during the tail end of the High Republic Era, launched in June 2024 with high hopes. Creator Leslye Headland promised a unique lens on the Force, focusing on the Sith’s rise during the Jedi’s Golden Age. Billed as a bold exploration of Star Wars mythology, the series featured a diverse ensemble cast and a queer-led narrative, signaling Disney’s push for representation.
While some praised the show’s progressive storytelling, others labeled it as “woke,” sparking heated online debates. Ultimately, the nine-episode series failed to captivate a wide audience despite tantalizing moments like potential ties to Darth Plagueis and Yoda’s involvement in the Brendok disaster. Low viewership sealed its fate, leading to Disney’s decision to pull the plug.
“We were happy with our performance, but it wasn’t where we needed it to be given the cost structure of that title,” Disney Entertainment Co-Chair Alan Bergman told Vulture.
The Acolyte remains available to stream—for now. But given Disney+’s track record of quietly removing underperforming titles like Willow, fans are understandably concerned about its future.
In contrast, Skeleton Crew has drawn significant attention. Debuting on December 2, 2024, with a double-episode premiere, the series concluded its first season on January 14, 2025. Created by Jon Watts and Christopher Ford, the show blends Amblin-style nostalgia with the Star Wars universe. It follows four kids embarking on a galactic adventure under the mysterious guidance of Jude Law’s Jod Na Nawood.
Set alongside The Mandalorian and Ahsoka in the Mando-Verse, Skeleton Crew has received positive critical reviews but struggled to attract viewers. According to Forbes, the show’s premiere failed to crack Luminate’s top 10 streaming list despite its hefty $136 million budget.
“Skeleton Crew is in process now, so we’ll see,” Bergman said. “The reviews have been excellent… we’ll see how that all plays out as it moves forward.”
However, early data paints a grim picture. Nielsen reports the series’ two-episode premiere garnered only 382 million viewing minutes—a far cry from The Mandalorian Season 3’s near-900 million and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s billion-plus debut.
GameRant noted this marks the lowest viewership for a Star Wars series premiere, stating: “[Star Wars: Skeleton Crew] also became the first series in the franchise to fail to debut in Disney+’s Top 10 Originals.”
Despite this, Watts remains optimistic about a potential second season. “We 100% have an idea for a second season and know what we would do,” he told Collider. He teased a potential three-to-four-year time jump to account for the child actors’ aging, promising viewers a story that grows alongside its cast.
Looking ahead, Lucasfilm’s roadmap is slim. Fans eagerly await The Mandalorian and Grogu’s 2026 theatrical debut and continue to speculate about future trilogies. Projects like Dave Filoni’s crossover film seemingly inspired by “Heir to the Empire” and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Rey Skywalker-led New Jedi Order face scheduling uncertainties. Meanwhile, Taika Waititi’s film appears shelved, and Rogue Squadron could see new life after a long hiatus.
Lucasfilm’s future hinges on its ability to reignite the magic that made Star Wars a cultural phenomenon. Will Skeleton Crew find its audience later, or will it follow in the footsteps of The Acolyte? Only time will tell.
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