‘Deadpool’ Animated Series: FX President Reiterates Why Show Didn’t Move Forward

Marvel fans will forever wonder what could’ve been when they think about Donald Glover‘s animated Deadpool series, which was abruptly cancelled ahead of production last year. While the adult-oriented series was supposed to move forward at FX, it died on the spot, and all we have to remember it by is a (absolutely perfect) faux-script written by Glover.

So what actually caused the cancellation? While Marvel never made any sort of official announcement, FX stated that there were some differences in the direction for the series, causing creators Donald and Stephen Glover to question things moving forward. During FX’s presentation at the TCA winter press tour on Monday, network CEO John Landgraf was asked to provide more details about what happened.

The exec didn’t say much, other than the fact that it was Marvel who decided to pull the plug, not FX. The series apparently “didn’t fit” with that Marvel was aiming for with the Deadpool character.

“Deadpool didn’t work out because Marvel didn’t want to make it,” Landgraf said during the presentation. “It didn’t fit what they wanted to do with Deadpool and it’s their brand and their decision.”

This is the second time Landgraf has addressed the cancelled Deadpool series at a TCA event, essentially echoing the comments he made back in August 2018.

“They didn’t want to do the show that Donald and Stephen [Glover] wrote,” he said during the TCA summer tour. “We would have done the show that Donald and Stephen wrote, but it wasn’t our decision. When Marvel decided not to do that show, we parted company with them, as did Donald and Stephen.”

After the Deadpool series was abruptly cancelled, FX released a statement saying that the relationship with Marvel and FX would continue through Legion. The network cited “creative differences” as the cause for the cancellation.

“Due to creative differences, FX, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, and Marvel Television have agreed to part ways on Marvel’s Deadpool animated series,” read the statement. “FX will no longer be involved with the project. FX and Marvel have an ongoing relationship through our partnership on Legion, which will continue.”

Things will certainly get interesting now when it comes to Marvel and FX. Not only does Marvel get the rights to its X-Men characters back when Disney purchases Fox, but it also gains control of FX. Could the network be the new home for any R-rated Marvel TV shows? That remains to be seen.