Showrunner Andrew Guest Addresses Wonder Man Cancellation

Co-creator and showrunner Andrew Guest posted a video on Saturday to address speculation surrounding the Disney+ series Wonder Man, which was cancelled after an initial renewal. He said he had listened to fan concerns and wanted to clarify the situation.

"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 explained that an internal decision by Disney and Marvel led to the cancellation, noting that he does not have access to viewership numbers. He added that he had already written the first episode of a planned second season and outlined its direction.

"I appreciate everybody getting out there and letting your voices be heard about how you feel about this, and I think there’s important conversations being had online about the kind of stories that we’re prioritizing and the kind of shows platforms wanna make."

The series, based on the Marvel comics character Simon Williams/Wonder Man, premiered on January 27 and logged 618 million minutes viewed in its first week, ranking eighth among streaming originals for that period. Actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen received an Emmy nomination for his lead performance.

Marvel initially announced a second-season renewal in March but reversed the decision later this week, leading to the series’ cancellation.