“Wonder Man” won’t be blasting back onto our TV screens after all: Disney+ has canceled the Marvel superhero series starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II after one season, TVLine has confirmed. (Variety first reported the news.)
The news comes despite the fact that Disney+ renewed the show for a second season in March. (A writers’ room for Season 2 was never opened and the show’s writers have been released to pursue other projects.)
Abdul-Mateen starred as the titular superhero, aka Simon Williams, a struggling actor who (in a very meta twist) hides his secret superpowers while auditioning to play the lead in a “Wonder Man” film. Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed this month’s Marvel blockbuster “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” co-created the series and directed the first two episodes.
Ben Kingsley co-starred as Trevor Slattery (a role he previously played in Marvel movies “Iron Man 3” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”), a veteran actor who crosses paths with Simon. “These two actors at opposite ends of their careers doggedly pursue life-changing roles in this film as audiences get a peek behind the curtain of the entertainment industry,” per the show’s official logline.
Wonder Man earned critical acclaim and a major Emmy nomination
Debuting in January with an eight-episode freshman season, “Wonder Man” was a hit with fans and critics alike, earning a 91% approval rating from critics and a 87% approval rating from fans on Rotten Tomatoes. The show also made a splash at this year’s Emmy nominations, with star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II earning a surprise nod for best lead actor in a comedy series alongside industry icons like Steve Carell and Martin Short.
Most of Disney+’s Marvel series have only lasted one season, however, from “WandaVision” to “Hawkeye,” with “Loki” and “Daredevil: Born Again” being the rare exceptions. And though “Wonder Man” has been axed, its characters “could still appear in other Marvel projects in the future.”
TVLine’s Scorecard has been updated to reflect the news. Will you miss seeing more of “Wonder Man”? Hit the comments below to share your thoughts on the cancellation.
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