Destin Daniel Cretton Baffled by Marvel's 'Wonder Man' Cancellation; Series Shelved Despite Renewal

Los Angeles – Filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton has publicly expressed his disappointment over Marvel Studios’ decision to cancel the Disney+ series Wonder Man, a show that had already been renewed for a second season. Cretton, whose recent Marvel feature Spider‑Man: Brand New Day crossed the billion‑dollar mark worldwide, told TheWrap that he and Marvel president Kevin Feige were eager to continue the series, but the project was abruptly shelved last week.

“I love that show to death,” Cretton said. “If it were up to me, we would be making that show. And I do believe that if – and I know this sounds weird – but if it were up to Kevin, we would be doing that show.” He added that he “doesn’t fully understand the business of streaming,” but believes that if the numbers had justified it, the series would have moved forward. Cretton described the cancellation as a “bummer” and said he was “heartbroken” and still needed to understand the reasoning behind the decision.

Wonder Man is based on the Marvel Comics character Simon Williams and follows an aspiring actor, played by Yahya Abdul‑Mateen II, who lands a role in a superhero film while navigating the entertainment industry with Trevor Slattery, portrayed by Ben Kingsley. The series premiered in January and earned Abdul‑Mateen an Emmy nomination. Marvel initially renewed the show for a second season in March, only to reverse that decision and cancel it a week later.

According to Cretton, Disney does not publicly release streaming viewership data, making it difficult to assess whether the show’s audience justified continuation. Speculation online suggested the cancellation might clear the way for a feature film, a possibility Cretton found “interesting” but for which he had no clarity.

Andrew Guest, co‑creator and showrunner of the series, dismissed rumors that the cancellation was part of a larger strategy. “There is no movie in the works,” Guest said. He explained that Disney and Marvel had made an internal decision that the series “didn’t make sense for them.” Guest also noted that contracts had been signed, schedules cleared, and a writers’ room was slated to begin this month, with production planned for early next year.