Yahya Abdul-Mateen II learned his Marvel series was done the same way many fans did: online. The actor posted to Instagram shortly after Variety broke the news that Wonder Man would not move forward with a second season, despite having been renewed by Disney+ earlier this year.
"Word just dropped that Wonder Man won't be coming back for Season 2. (And if you don't knowww, now ya knoww!" Abdul-Mateen wrote. "That's life, right? Everything will shake out."
The cancellation came as a surprise. Disney had announced a renewal in March, but according to Variety, a writers' room was never opened following that announcement. The show had premiered in January and earned a 91% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Abdul-Mateen had also recently received a Primetime Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for the role, his second Emmy nomination overall after winning for Watchmen.
The series starred Abdul-Mateen as Simon Williams, an aspiring actor concealing superhero abilities. Ben Kingsley co-starred as Trevor Slattery, reprising a role from earlier MCU films. The show was created by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest, with Guest serving as showrunner. The cast also included X Mayo, Demetrius Grosse, Zlatko Buric, Arian Moayed, Josh Gad and Olivia Thirlby.
In her review for Variety, Alison Herman wrote that Abdul-Mateen and Kingsley "make their characters equally ridiculous and romantic, urged on by a motivation more intimate and individual than saving the world."
Despite the cancellation, Abdul-Mateen's Instagram post was notably warm in tone. He thanked viewers who watched and shared the show, pointing specifically to reactions he had seen on YouTube.
"The show worked. And that's my favorite thing about it," he wrote. "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. So, thinking of you all today."
He closed his message with a note that carried some bite: "I'm glad we got to be a part of something cool. Thank you for watching… And uhh… See you at the Emmys."
There is still a path forward for at least some of the characters. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation cited by Variety, Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery could appear in other Marvel projects in the future, even though Wonder Man as a standalone series will not continue.
