Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Says the ‘Optics’ at Marvel Are ‘Obvious’ After ‘Wonder Man’ and ‘Blade’ Canceled: ‘If I’m Disney, I Do Not Want to Be Attached To These Optics’

By Zack Sharf

Zack Sharf

Digital News Director

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Yahya Abdul-Mateen II says the “optics” at Marvel are obvious after the studio canceled his Emmy-nominated series “Wonder Woman” after one season and failed over multiple years to bring to life the “Blade” movie it announced starring Mahershala Ali. Marvel canceled “Wonder Man” in July after previously renewing the series for Season 2. The show’s first season launched in January on Disney+.

“I was told that it had something to do with the viewership numbers,” Abdul-Mateen recently told Vanity Fair. “I wasn’t told what those numbers were, but ultimately, for whatever reason it was, I think they decided that it didn’t make sense for business, and that’s the decision that we live with and we keep on marching forward.”

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