If Marvel thought its public relations strategy of hoping the Spider-Man: Brand New Day opening weekend excitement would bury news about Wonder Man’s cancellation, think again. Because the complaints about Wonder Man being canceled and praise for Spider-Man are happening simultaneously.
Variety reported Thursday that Marvel Studios is no longer doing season 2 of Wonder Man. The series debuted on Disney+ in January. Marvel announced a second season in March. It was well-received by critics, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II earned an Emmy nomination for his performance as Simon Williams/Wonder Man.
Now, instead of looking forward to more Wonder Man, fans are left with the frustrating loss of one of Marvel’s best projects.
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Marvel Gives and Takes with Wonder Man Cancellation
Before Disney+, the old iteration of Marvel Television produced several series that received multiple seasons. The landmark MCU show, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., ran for seven seasons on ABC. The Defenders-verse shows that debuted on Netflix all got at least two seasons. Agent Carter ended on a cliffhanger but still got two seasons. But the new Marvel Television department under Marvel Studios has rarely given its live-action shows more than one season. Loki and Daredevil: Born Again have been the only exceptions.
That’s what made Wonder Man‘s renewal a surprise — albeit a pleasant one. It was reasonable to think the eight episodes of Wonder Man would be all the extent of what Marvel did with the character from a solo project perspective. But announcing a second season showed that Marvel had belief in Simon. It showed the value Marvel saw in his dynamic with Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery. It showed Marvel’s commitment to diverse narratives, unique storytelling and giving lesser-known characters a chance to become more.
That’s what makes Wonder Man‘s abrupt cancellation hurt even more.
It’d be one thing if Marvel had never said anything about Wonder Man‘s future. But the season 2 announcement gave expectations. Perhaps most notably, it paved the way for clarity about Simon’s powers. But Marvel decided to backtrack on the season 2 renewal. That brings up a lot of negative feelings, from anger and frustration to disappointment and sadness.
The reasoning behind Wonder Man season 2’s cancellation remains unknown. Marvel initially picked up the series, so canceling the show instead of postponing it is interesting. Variety’s report said there wasn’t a writer’s room yet, so there seemingly wasn’t much to work with yet. But were there attempts to salvage the show? Just how far did Marvel get into developing the season? Were there any concrete ideas for what the season would tackle or just vague topics to explore?
Whatever the reason, even though the news is upsetting, it’s at least comforting to know the pride Abdul-Mateen had in the show. The Wonder Man lead shared a post on Instagram with his thoughts about the cancellation:
The show worked. And that’s my favorite thing about it. I could see it on the faces of the Youtube Reactors (because I watched along with y’all this time. Shoutout to y’all) and I can see in the messages I get saying how the show reminded some of you not to give up, and I feel it in the genuine love shared when I bump into some of you all during the day.
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A Loss for POC Representation
On the same weekend that Destin Daniel Cretton celebrates his work as director of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, he also loses season 2 of his co-creation Wonder Man. Cretton, who’s of Japanese descent, first made a name for himself with Marvel as director of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Cretton is still set to direct the Shang-Chi sequel, so Marvel will still benefit from his creative direction. But that doesn’t make it any less disappointing to see a POC-created project get pushed aside.
One of the great things about the MCU’s take on Wonder Man was the decision to make Simon a Black man. Deterring from the comics, it added extra dimension to his character, especially as an actor struggling to make it in the industry. Simon’s Haitian family made for a compelling narrative element, also showcasing a heritage that doesn’t often receive mainstream representation.
The choice also showed how characters can be people of color simply because people of color exist. Being a person of color doesn’t have to be the basis and identifying trait. Doing so risks making the choice less authentic and more so a caricature. But Wonder Man showcased and respected Simon’s Haitian background without making it an inflated component of the character.
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Canceling Wonder Man doesn’t necessarily mean the end for the superpowered actor. But it still marks the loss of a POC-led project. It’s also tough to feel optimistic about Simon’s future, considering how Marvel has treated other POC leads in it’s movies and TV shows.
For example, both Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight and Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams/Ironheart had their own shows, but there has been no indication whether either character will return. Shang-Chi’s debut was a success, yet Avengers: Doomsday will be the first time in live action since his origin movie. Even Sam Wilson, who has been Captain America for years, isn’t getting the respect he deserves after a series and a movie where he’s front and center. And you see the disregard for his character with Marvel banking on nostalgia by bringing back Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday.
That said, future Wonder Man appearances are certainly welcome and hoped for. But that possibility won’t take away the disappointment of his series getting canceled.
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Wonder Man Was the Refreshing Change of Pace the MCU Needed
MORE: If you need more Wonder Man feels, read our review!
Cool fight scenes and exciting adventures are fun to watch, but that’s simply the start of what makes people into Marvel fans. More than anything else, people care about the characters and their stories, not just superpowers and awesome abilities. That’s part of what made Wonder Man great.
The character-driven narrative centered on Simon was compelling, genuine, and real. Wonder Man gave viewers time to understand Simon and the story the show was telling — something the faster pace of movies doesn’t always allow for. So for Marvel to skip out on giving Simon more of that platform for whatever was meant to be next in his narrative is unfortunate.
Wonder Man even used a minor character in Trevor to complement and elevate Simon — both in the show and in general. They were an unexpected pair, but their dynamic worked so well. It was the driving force of the show. Trevor was once known as comic relief, but he became a serious character with heart in Wonder Man. The series wouldn’t have been a success if not for that duo.
It’d be a shame to think Wonder Man was the last we’ve seen of the unlikely but likable pairing of Simon and Trevor. If it is, at least we’re left with the heartwarming final scene of Simon breaking Trevor out of prison.
Wonder Man is streaming on Disney+.
