#87 – Disney’s Franchise Fracas: (Dr.) Doom, Gloom, and The Acolyte (Spoilercast!)

The Star Wars franchise sent Disney+ into hyperspace when the service launched with breakout hit The Mandalorian, but the sci-fi cornerstone of Disney’s streaming play has struggled to replicate the unstoppable force of Grogu and Mando. Enter The Acolyte, which has been review bombed for all the wrong reasons… but also might be burdened with some pretty serious storytelling problems. We revisit the series after finishing the full season and debate what worked, what didn’t, and whether the show would’ve succeeded as a Rogue One-style standalone movie (especially with so much riding on the upcoming big screen Mandalorian spinoff). But first, in the news: Disney finally shakes off the Marvel funk with a successful Deadpool movie, but will a desperate pivot back to RDJ and the Russo Brothers save the flagship Avengers franchise? And speaking of the Russo Brothers: Amazon reveals some compelling casting for one of the least compelling shows we’ve ever watched. Can Citadel convince us to come back for season 2? ——— 📺 Review: The Acolyte (S1 Rewind) 🧭 Where to Watch: Disney+ 🗓️ Episodes: 8 (All Episodes Available) 🔄 Renewal Status: Unclear! 📚 Related Titles: The Star Wars-es 📚 Where to Stream Related Titles: Disney+ 🤩 Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto 🧑‍🎨 Created By: Leslye Headland ⚠️ Spoiler Alert for all 8 episodes starting at 12:40 ——— 🔗 Links: Robert Downey Jr. Will Play Doctor Doom in Marvel's 'Avengers: Doomsday' – Zack Sharf, Variety ‘Citadel’ Adds Matt Berry & Gabriel Leone To Season 2 Cast – Nellie Andreeva, Deadline The Acolyte would have made for an awesome Star Wars film – Jarrod Jones, A.V. Club Why ‘The Acolyte’ Season 2 Looks Increasingly Unlikely – Paul Tassi, Forbes ——— Subscribe and share at streamageddon.com