Wonder Man’s Cancellation Shows Marvel Forgot the Lesson That Built the MCU

Wonder Man‘s shocking cancellation proves that Marvel has forgotten the lesson that built the MCU.

Wonder Man has been canceled after one season. The surprising news comes four months after Marvel renewed the Disney+ series for a second season. However, Variety reports that a writers’ room for Season 2 was “never opened,” and the show’s writers have been “released to pursue other projects.”

Wonder Man stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, a struggling actor who auditions to headline a Wonder Man movie remake. Abdul-Mateen received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Ben Kingsley reprises his role as Trevor Slattery, who appeared in Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Abdul-Mateen, Kingsley, and other characters from the show could still show up in future Marvel shows.

Many of Marvel’s Disney+ shows — including WandaVision, Agatha All Along, and Moon Knight —only received one season, so it’s not shocking that Wonder Man is ending. However, it is surprising to see Disney rescind their renewal.

Wonder Man’s cancellation reveals a bigger problem with Marvel’s current state. The studio used to build stars from the unlikeliest of source material. That’s no longer the case, raising many questions about the future of the MCU.

Marvel has forgotten how to make stars out of lesser properties

Robert Downey Jr. is a household name and on the Mount Rushmore of MCU actors. Nearly 20 years ago, that was not the case. Downey’s reputation was still recovering from his legal troubles in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Furthermore, Iron Man was not as popular a property as Spider-Man or the X-Men. Yet Marvel took a chance on Downey and commissioned Iron Man as the first MCU movie. It was clearly a successful decision.

2008’s Iron Man birthed the Marvel machine, one that could build stars and franchises from non-marquee characters. Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man went from risky endeavors to popular franchises, with each property receiving three movies. Doctor Strange, a little-known character to mainstream audiences, became a vital member of the Avengers and starred in two solo MCU outings.

Marvel used to be the superhero studio that could turn nearly any character into a star. Now, Marvel wants preexisting star power or popular IP. The failures of Eternals and The Marvels shifted the studio’s strategy by doubling down on what works: Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the leaders of the MCU’s early stages: Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, and Robert Downey Jr.

Look at Marvel’s future movie slate. The next five movies on the calendar are Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars, Ghost Ride, and Black Panther 3. All five feature recognizable stars backed by memorable IP. That schedule doesn’t even include the X-Men, who are coming soon.

It’s not that Marvel can’t make those movies. They should explore those properties. However, the studio must try to develop new stars again or risk becoming stagnant and too top-heavy.

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