[Editor’s note: This article contains spoilers for “The Acolyte.”]
Although he will most likely not be involved in the second season, Lee Jung Jae still “surprised” that Disney+ has pulled the plug on fan-favorite Star Wars series Acolyte.
Show cancellation after one season premiered on August 19. The series, which is set 100 years before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, was created by Leslye Headland starring Amandla Stenberg, Manny Jacinto, Carrie-Anne Moss and Lee, and depicted the rise of the Sith.
Lee said Diversity that he was “pretty surprised” that Disney+ wasn't moving forward with a second season, though he noted that he likely wouldn't be involved in the next installment due to his character's death. However, Moss' role continued after her on-screen demise, given the show's unique chronologically-shuffled structure.
“I was very surprised when I heard the news personally,” said Lee, who plays Master Sol. “As you know, my character died in season one. So I wouldn’t have been in season two, if there was one. But I personally really enjoyed Leslie’s writing. I think she’s a great writer and director who’s very talented at storytelling and also at creating characters and creating meaningful structures in the story. So I was personally really looking forward to watching season two with her at the helm.”
Lee hinted that perhaps Season 2 could be resurrected later, especially after Season 1. ending with a gripping plot.
“Honestly, I hope that maybe there will be changes in the future,” Lee said. “Because you never know what's going to happen. So on a personal level, I really hope that we get to see more of Leslie's stories in Season 2.”
Meanwhile, Lee will appear in the second season of Netflix's The Squid Game, which premieres on December 26. Lee previously said Guardian that while “it's great that viewers around the world are watching Korean content,” he's concerned about how much the fictional survival show resonated with viewers.
“The themes of The Squid Game—how far we are willing to go to accumulate personal wealth, the lengths people are forced to go to—the fact that it resonated with so many people around the world, anxious” said Lee, who won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. “It feels like this is reality for a lot of people around the world. And that makes me feel very sad.”
Read IndieWire's Christian Blauvelt, who analyzes what 'Acolyte' Cancellation Means 'Star Wars' Future Is Here.