Wonder Man showrunner Andrew Guest (30 Rock, Community) took to TikTok Saturday night to explain the reasoning behind the show’s sudden cancellation, as reported first by Deadline. Earlier this week, Guest was among the first to publicly confirm that the metafictional Marvel series would not return for its previously announced second season.
@andrewgst #wonderman #marvel #season2 #marvelwonderman #mcu ♬ Monologues – Joel P West
“I just want to say I’ve been listening,” Guest opens the TikTok, “I appreciate you all, how you all feel. And I just want to clear up what I can.”
First, a bit of context for those outside the loop. Wonder Man first released on Disney+ this January, signifying one of the company’s many recent attempts to bring the magic of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the small screen. Despite initially releasing to little fanfare, the series soon became one of the studio’s most critically successful endeavors, boasting an impressive 91 percent critic score on aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. Fans rejoiced in March when Marvel confirmed the series would return for a second season, breaking the one-season curse that has befallen similar series like Moon Knight and Ironheart — that was, until the company suddenly reversed course this Wednesday.
In the TikTok, Guest goes on to deny the rumor that Wonder Man had been repackaged for a theatrical release. “This is not a marketing stunt. There is no movie in the works. And Destin’s schedule—no one’s schedule was an issue. Yahya, Destin, Sir Ben and I all loved making this show, all felt passionately about continuing to do it, and were eager to. Contracts were signed, schedules were cleared, writers room was supposed to start this month, production was supposed to begin early next year.” Guest had already written the script for the first episode of season two when he learned of the decision.
Guest also admits that he doesn’t know much more about Marvel’s reasons for the cancellation than the fans do, simply stating that “there was a decision made internally between Disney and Marvel that this didn’t make sense for them, even though a few months ago it did (via TikTok). “And that’s essentially all I really know.”
While Guest did not offer consolation that Wonder Man’s story would continue somewhere down the line, he nevertheless thanked fans of the show for their outspoken reaction to the cancellation, and heaped praise onto lead actor Yayha Abdul-Mateen II (Ambulance, Aquaman), who received an Emmy nomination for his performance as Trevor Williams. Via TikTok: “I hope people are listening, and I also hope that Emmy voters are thinking about Yahya and how much he deserves the Emmy for the incredible work he did on the show.”