The MCU just called it quits with its fourth Season 2 plan for Disney+. While Marvel Studios is now prioritizing annual releases on Disney+ like Daredevil: Born Again, X-Men '97, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, the studio has had trouble getting multi-season shows off the ground. The MCU has begun several blockbuster original series to introduce new heroes and corners of the Marvel world, only to abandon them as quickly as they arrived.
Marvel Television dropped a curveball on fans in the midst of Spider-Man: Brand New Day's release week, as plans for Wonder Man Season 2 were officially canceled at Disney+. The news came as a major surprise, given that the MCU's Hollywood satire comedy was renewed for a second season in March.
Variety exclusively reported the MCU tragedy, stating that "a writers’ room for Season 2 was never opened," even four months after the original renewal. By contrast, showrunner Andrew Guest told The Hollywood Reporter in April that they were in the "early stages of the writing process."
While Wonder Man's cancellation is bad news for fans of unique, high-bar TV, it may offer a glimmer of hope for another troubled project. Co-creator Destin Daniel Cretton might finally now have more time to focus on Shang-Chi 2, especially since his latest movie, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, is now playing in theaters.
Wonder Man joins an ever-expanding roster of live-action MCU Disney+ shows that have been abandoned after just one season. There have been other shows, like WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Echo, She-Hulk, Agatha All Along, and Ironheart, that have been one-and-done; however, all were either limited series or showed no signs of planning Season 2.
At the time of writing, only Daredevil: Born Again and Loki have continued into Season 2 from the Disney+ era, while the rest have continued their narratives in other projects on been abandoned altogether. It's unclear what fate will befall the cast of Wonder Man, although Variety reported that "the characters featured in the series could still appear in other Marvel projects in the future."
Unfortunately, the future is still far from certain for Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Simon Williams and Sir Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery. Similar statements have been echoed for other heroes who have been disregarded after their Disney+ shows, but perhaps Cretton could find room for the acting duo in Shang-Chi 2, given that Trevor already had a supporting role in the original 2021 martial arts flick.
Every Other MCU Disney+ Series That Almost Got a Season 2 Renewal
Hawkeye
Marvel Studios seemingly came close to renewing Hawkeye for Season 2, but the project faced a major obstacle after star Jeremy Renner was severely injured in a life-changing snowplow accident. The studio later went to Renner for a second season with an "insult offer" for "half the money," which he, of course, rejected.
Consulting producer Andrew Guest later confirmed that "the timing didn't work out" for Season 2 to happen, dooming its chances. While there has been no sign of Clint Barton in the MCU since, Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop cameoed in The Marvels and may soon return alongside other young heroes like Ms. Marvel, Cassie Lang, Wiccan, and Speed as a member of the Champions.
Hawkeye Season 2 would have reteamed Clint Barton and Kate Bishop for another adventure within the "Christmas framework of it all." The duo was reportedly set to face off with the OG Avenger's brother, Barney Barton, aka Trickshot, who could have been played by an A-list actor and returned for multiple projects.
Moon Knight
Marc Spector/Steven Grant star Oscar Isaac confirmed in October 2022 that there had been "specific conversations" about Moon Knight Season 2, and they were searching for a "story worth telling." Years later, there is no sign of Season 2 happening to resolve Moon Knight's cliffhanger ending that introduced Spector's secret third alter, taxi driver Jake Lockley, still working for Khonshu.
Marvel Television head Brad Winderbaum more recently explained that Moon Knight was crafted as part of a "wave of shows that were going to establish characters" for future projects. Looking ahead, Moon Knight seems most likely to return as part of a larger Midnight Sons ensemble movie in the MCU's next saga.
Ms. Marvel
Marvel Studios' original plan for Ms. Marvel reportedly involved two seasons, with a big-screen appearance sandwiched in between. Of course, Ms. Marvel's theatrical debut landed in 2023 with The Marvels, but there has been no sign of a second season entering development outside of various rumors from scoopers.
Co-director Adil El Arbi explained that they were "waiting for The Marvels" to release to "decide what the next step will be." As The Marvels flopped immensely at the box office, that may have been the deciding factor in abandoning Ms. Marvel after just one season on Disney+.
Unlike many other characters whose solo series have been abandoned, Ms. Marvel jumped to the big screen in The Marvels, led the way in Marvel Zombies, and may soon star in a Champions Disney+ team-up series. She has also been rumored to return in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
