Wonder Man Star Reacts to MCU Show’s Sudden Cancellation With the Best Possible Response

While Marvel television hasn’t always been as well-received as its movie offerings, the small screen has definitely had its high points. One such high point was Wonder Man. Released back in January, the series was one of Marvel’s best television offerings in years, receiving critical and fan praise, and even earning it’s star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II an Emmy nomination for his role as Simon Williams/Wonder Man. The show was so well-received that it earned an easy Season 2 renewal, but fans were stunned today when it was revealed that Disney was reversing course, cancelling the second season of the series. Now, while fans are left wondering what happened, Abdul-Mateen is opening up about the sudden cancellation, and he’s got the best reaction possible.

In a post on Instagram, Abdul-Mateen seemed to be taking the cancellation in stride, calling the development “that’s life” and thanking everyone who supported the series. He also noted that he was “glad we got to be part of something cool” and then signed off with a nod to his Emmy nomination.

“Word just dropped that Wonder Man won’t be coming back for Season 2. (And if you don’t knowww, now ya knoww!) That’s life, right? Everything will shake out. I wanted to say thank you to everybody who WATCHED the show, ENJOYED the show, and SHARED that they enjoyed the show in some way or other,” he wrote. “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 Ig et 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. So, thinking of you all today. I’m glad we got to be a part of something cool. Thank you for watching… And uhh… See you at the EMMYS.”

Fans Aren’t Happy Wonder Man Was Cancelled

As is often the case when a television series is cancelled, fans haven’t been particularly happy about Wonder Man getting the axe. Their upset is understandable. Not only is Wonder Man a unique entry in the overall MCU, but it also feels like it follows in the footsteps of other MCU series that didn’t go beyond their first season, specifically those series that were just outside of the typical MCU box (such as She-Hulk.) There’s also the matter of how Wonder Man ended its first and now only season: the series concluded on a cliffhanger that now may never be resolved.

Of course, it’s also not impossible that we won’t see Wonder Man again. The report that broke the news of the series’ cancellation noted that both Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery could appear in future Marvel projects, though given that the MCU is headed towards a reset with Avengers: Secret Wars, that seems like such a slight possibility that even if we do see the characters again, it’s unlikely that it will be in a place that continues their story with any real substance. It’s also not particularly reassuring that we’ll see the characters again, largely because Marvel has been very quiet about television projects — VisionQuest is coming up this fall, but there isn’t anything new on the horizon that has been publicly discussed, leading some to think that Marvel may be backing away from its television presence in a big way.

Ultimately, it’s deeply unfortunate that we won’t be getting more of Wonder Man, but Abdul-Mateen is right: the fans and the show were all part of something cool together, and that’s something worth continuing to appreciate — and hopefully the star will get the appreciation he deserves at the Emmys.

You can stream Wonder Man’s first and only season on Disney+.