Even Wonder Man’s Director Doesn’t Know Why Disney Cancelled It, “I Need to Fully Understand the Why”

August 4, 2026, 11:56am

Destin Daniel Cretton is currently riding high thanks to his Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which has remarkably already crossed the $1 billion mark just a handful of days into its theatrical run. Since helming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Cretton has established himself as one of Marvel’s strongest creatives, also creating the acclaimed TV series Wonder Man in between film projects. Unfortunately, the week of Brand New Day‘s releases was marred by the news that Wonder Man had been cancelled (despite being renewed for Season 2 back in March). In the aftermath, those involved with the show have shared their thoughts, expressing gratitude for the experience. Now, Cretton has weighed in.

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Speaking with The Wrap, Cretton shared his reaction to the Wonder Man cancellation. “I love that show to death. 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 [Feige], we would be doing that show,” he said. “And I’m just talking, I don’t fully understand the business of streaming, but if the business was right, we would be making that show because I know [Feige] loves that show as much as I do. It’s a bummer. I’m heartbroken about it. But I need to fully understand the why.“

What Destin Daniel Cretton’s Comments Tell Us About the Wonder Man Cancellation

Cretton’s comments are slightly different from what Wonder Man showrunner Andrew Guest said over the weekend. In a social media post, Guest said “there was a decision made internally between Disney and Marvel that this didn’t make sense for them.” Clearly, Disney felt continuing Wonder Man no longer made sense for them, but based on what Cretton is saying, Marvel Studios was still up for it. Evidently, Kevin Feige was a big fan of Wonder Man and was looking forward to making another season. It would appear that Disney made the final call on Wonder Man‘s fate, seemingly going against Marvel’s wishes.

This serves as a reminder to fans that Disney subsidiaries like Marvel and Lucasfilm are ultimately at the mercy of the Mouse House. They have a certain amount of creative freedom, but they don’t have free reign to give anything the green light. At the end of the day, they need to get projects approved, just like directors need to get pitches approved by Marvel or Lucasfilm. Star Wars fans experienced this last year when they learned about Steven Soderbergh’s movie The Hunt for Ben Solo, which had a script in place that Lucasfilm loved. When they went to Disney brass for final approval, they were shocked when the film was turned down. The Wonder Man situation has to sting a bit more for Marvel fans because Season 2 had already been announced (and a production timeline was laid out) before Disney pulled the plug. The Hunt for Ben Solo was kept under wraps until Adam Driver and Soderbergh started talking about it.

It’ll be interesting to see if Kevin Feige or anyone at Disney sheds light on why exactly Wonder Man was cancelled. The easiest explanation could be the company’s shifting priorities regarding output. Moving forward, there’s less of an emphasis on new streaming content. There are no upcoming live-action Marvel and Star Wars TV shows that haven’t already been shot. After VisionQuest later this year, there’s Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 and Ahsoka Season 2 in 2027. Tellingly, Marvel and Lucasfilm have spent more time at pop culture conventions discussing upcoming movies like Star Wars: Starfighter, Ghost Rider, and Black Panther 3. Another wave of new TV shows doesn’t appear to be in the cards.

There’s always a chance Wonder Man characters could return in a different Marvel project. Cretton told The Wrap he’d be interested in making a Wonder Man movie — in part because then they’d be able to look at the concrete box office numbers to determine if it was a success or not. Whether or not a Wonder Man film happens remains to be seen. Marvel’s integration of TV shows and films in the Multiverse Saga was a mixed bag, sparking Feige’s desire to scale things back so it’s easier for fans to follow. Hopefully, Cretton will one day be able to tie up the story of Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery.