Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Cretton 'heartbroken' over Marvel's cancellation of Disney+ series 'Wonder Man'
A director named Destin Daniel Cretton helped make a TV show called 'Wonder Man' for Disney+.
The show is about a man named Simon Williams who dreams of being an actor in superhero movies.
It stars an actor named Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
The company behind the show, Marvel Studios, first said they would make a second season.
But last week, they changed their minds and cancelled the show.
Mr. Cretton says his heart is broken because he loved the show.
He says the head of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, loved it too and wanted to keep making it.
Nobody knows exactly why the show was cancelled.
Disney+ does not share how many people watch its shows, so it is hard to tell if the show was popular.
Mr. Cretton says the show's main actor even got nominated for a big award called an Emmy.
'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' director Destin Daniel Cretton says he is 'heartbroken' over Marvel Studios' cancellation of the Disney+ series 'Wonder Man.'
Cretton says he and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige both wanted the series to continue and that he does not fully understand why it was shelved.
The series stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams and Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery; it premiered in January and earned Abdul-Mateen an Emmy nomination.
Marvel Studios renewed 'Wonder Man' for a second season in March before reversing the decision and cancelling the series last week.
Co-creator and showrunner Andrew Guest says there is no movie in the works and the cancellation is not a marketing stunt, but an internal decision that the series 'didn't make sense' for Disney and Marvel.
- Who
- Director Destin Daniel Cretton, co-creator and showrunner Andrew Guest, stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.
- What
- Marvel Studios cancelled the Disney+ series 'Wonder Man' after renewing it for a second season in March; Cretton says he is 'heartbroken' and does not fully understand the decision.
- When
- The series premiered in January, was renewed in March, and was cancelled last week.
- Where
- Not specified in the articles; the series airs on the Disney+ streaming platform.
- Why
- Cretton believes the show would be in production if the streaming business were right, and says Feige loved it as much as he did; showrunner Andrew Guest said Disney and Marvel made an internal decision that the series 'didn't make sense for them.'
Creative team's perspective
Studio's decision
Should 'Wonder Man' have been cancelled?
Creative team's perspective
Destin Daniel Cretton says he and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige both love the series and would be making it if the streaming business were right; the show earned star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II an Emmy nomination.
Studio's decision
Disney and Marvel made an internal decision that the series 'didn't make sense for them,' reversing the March renewal for a second season; Andrew Guest said the cancellation was not a marketing stunt.
Why was the series cancelled?
Creative team's perspective
Cretton says he does not fully understand the 'why' behind the cancellation and notes that Disney+ does not disclose viewership data, making audience performance hard to assess.
Studio's decision
Guest says Disney and Marvel made an internal decision that the series didn't make sense for them and dismissed reports linking the cancellation to a broader strategy or a film in the works.
- Series
- Wonder Man
- Platform
- Disney+
- Studio
- Marvel Studios
- Lead actor
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams
- Cast
- Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery
- Creators
- Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest
- Award recognition
- Emmy nomination for Yahya Abdul-Mateen II after January premiere
- Status timeline
- Renewed for season 2 in March; cancelled last week