ABC Officially Cancels ‘Marvel’s Inhumans’

In a move that surprises few, ABC has officially canceled Marvel’s Inhumans. The show had been rumored to be on the chopping block for quite some time but the network made it official today as it prepares for Upfronts next week.

Despite a fan petition to have the show renewed for a second season, the show was never able to get over its disastrous critical reception and less-than-stellar ratings.

Inhumans averaged 1.2 in the key demo and garnered just 4 million total viewers. The show debuted to a rough 10% approval rating on the review aggregating site Rotten Tomatoes.

At the TCA winter press tour, ABC head Channing Dungey commented on the show, saying that the network was disappointed with how it performed. She also said ABC — at the time — hadn’t yet decided on its future.

“It didn’t perform for us at the level that we would’ve wanted,” she said. “We haven’t made any official decision yet about what we’re going to pick up in May, but I will say that the numbers, unfortunately, were less exciting for us than we hoped they would be.”

The show initially showed some promise as it was announced the first two episodes would be shot in conjunction with IMAX, but lackluster trailers served detrimental for the show’s buzz, and it never was able to bounce back in ratings after premiering on ABC.

Some of the show’s stars have already moved on to other roles, including King Black Bolt himself, Anson Mount. Mount was recently cast as Captain Christopher Pike in the second season of CBS All Acess’ Star Trek: Discovery.

With the cancellation of Marvel’s Inhumans, the lone Marvel Cinematic Universe show still on ABC is Agents of SHIELDwhich, according to The Hollywood Reporter, is still on the bubble and might not make it to a sixth season.

Agents of SHIELD showrunner Maurissa Tancharoen responded that this finale could also serve to tee off more episodes in the future.

“We’ll never end something without the potential for more story,” Tancharoen said. “That’s how we’ve ended every season, because whenever we’ve come to the end of all the seasons past, we go into that mostly not knowing until the very last minute, so we’re basically doing the same thing to close out Season 5. It can fit well as a possible series finale, and it can fit well as just another season’s end.”

Co-showrunner Jed Whedon added, “You always want to leave the idea that there’s more stories, it’s a question of whether or not we will tell them. We have our end, and we’ll stick to it regardless, and we think it’ll work either way.”