Another live-action Marvel TV series has, unfortunately, been canceled after Wonder Man. Earlier this year, Marvel Television premiered one of its most acclaimed Disney+ shows yet in Wonder Man, a Hollywood satire comedy starring superhero actor Simon Williams, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. The series was originally renewed for Season 2 but was later canceled in an unexpected switch-up. Despite Wonder Man's critical acclaim, the highest-rated live-action Marvel show of this year on Rotten Tomatoes is actually Spider-Noir, a detective noir show set in the 1930s and centered on Nicolas Cage's Ben Reilly, aka The Spider, which was released on Amazon Prime Video, not Disney+.
Just over three months after Nicolas Cage's Spider-Noir premiered all eight episodes as a binge release on May 27, Amazon Prime Video has officially canceled the Spider-Verse pseudo-spin-off. A report from Variety confirmed that the first live-action Spider-Man TV show won't return for Season 2, although Amazon and Sony are reteaming on a new Marvel show, to be announced soon.
Jeff Sneider indicated that Spider-Noir's viewing figures were the driving factor in the cancellation, saying that "viewership fell off as the season went along." Variety's report cited Nielsen's streaming content ratings, noting that Spider-Noir picked up 2.6 billion viewing minutes in its first six weeks (an average of 325 million minutes and 7.45 million views per episode).
For comparison's sake, Nielsen revealed in 2024 that Fallout debuted with a much higher 2.9 billion viewing minutes in just its first few days and 11.95 billion total across the eight months that followed. Spider-Noir and Fallout may have more in common than it may seem: both hailed from major established fandoms and premiered their first seasons as binge releases on Amazon Prime Video.
Wonder Man star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II similarly stated that the cancellation of his MCU series "had something to do with the viewership numbers." As both Spider-Noir and Wonder Man were released in a binge format earlier this year, albeit on different services, the decision is bound to raise questions about the viability of this release model in the superhero genre.
There is still a chance that Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery may find their way back to screens in another MCU project, but nothing is certain at this time. However, the future is much more secure for Cage and Spider-Man Noir, as the alternate Variant of the black-and-white web-slinger from Into the Spider-Verse will return in June 2027 for Beyond the Spider-Verse.
In a way, Spider-Noir is actually the third Marvel show abandoned this year, as Disney+ is also calling it quits with Iron Man and His Awesome Friends, the preschool-targeted spin-off to the ever-successful Spidey and His Amazing Friends. The Disney Jr. series stars young versions of Tony Stark, Riri Williams, and Amadeus Cho, and, sadly, is set to end after just one 30-episode season.
However, Iron Man and His Awesome Friends isn't quite being canceled, akin to Disney+'s Wonder Man and Amazon Prime Video's Spider-Noir. Instead, the Iron Man-centric show will be rebranded as Avengers: Mightiest Friends for 2027, elevating other heroes like Captain America, Hulk, Black Panther, Black Widow, and Thor to larger roles as they "strive to be their best selves."
This year's other already-released Marvel show, X-Men '97, has already been renewed for Season 3 and will return in 2027. Meanwhile, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 was delayed until 2027, but its future is equally secure, as Season 3 has already been greenlit.
Marvel Television is still expected to leave another major TV venture behind this year, as VisionQuest will arrive as the final chapter of the WandaVision trilogy and another one-and-done. That said, creator Terry Matalas offered some optimism for Season 2 hopefuls, revealing that it "doesn't necessarily have to [stand on its own]" and that its future is "up to the Marvel and Disney gods."
What Does the Future Hold for Marvel on Television?
Recent reports have stated that Marvel Studios is cutting back on live-action Disney+ shows, with this October's VisionQuest poised to conclude an era that has heavily prioritized limited series. The move isn't expected to affect Daredevil: Born Again, which will return for a Defenders reunion in Season 3 next year, although its future beyond that and prospects of a fourth season remain unclear.
Still, Murphy's Multiverse recently revealed that Marvel Television is aiming to start filming a new Disney+ show, with the working title Slumber Party, next year, with an option to run for multiple seasons. The youth-oriented working title sparked speculation that the MCU is finally moving forward with its Young Avengers-esque Disney+ show, which has been rumored for some time.
In the realm of animation, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and X-Men '97 are both officially renewed through Season 3, while Marvel Zombies Season 2 is officially coming at some point. The future is even brighter for X-Men '97, since the studio has even begun "talking about Season 4 and 5" already.
These projects will exist alongside further seasons of Spidey and His Amazing Friends and the debut of Avengers: Mightiest Friends, as well as any more spin-offs that may spawn from the Disney Jr. preschool franchise. On the topic of Spider-Man-related projects, even though Spider-Noir is ending, Sony Pictures TV has a new mystery Marvel project in the pipeline.
Recent reports on Spider-Noir's cancellation noted that Amazon's deal with Sony Pictures TV will live on through another Marvel project. Variety reported that a second Spider-Man-related TV series is "already in development and is expected to be announced soon," suggesting it is well along.
As Sony has likely learned its lesson about centering projects on Spider-Man villains, another Variant of the web-slinger ought to be the focus. The studio could revive its canceled plans for a Silk: Spider Society show, but there is a greater chance it opts to bring another hero from the Spider-Verse franchise to live action.
Spider-Noir just took the franchise to the 1930s, so perhaps the logical progression is to center Miguel O'Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099, in a futuristic, neon-lit New York, with voice actor Oscar Isaac reprising the role in live action. Alternatively, it may be time for a female-focused offshoot that places Jessica Drew, better known as Spider-Woman, in the driver's seat for the first time.
