Marvel TV Boss Gets Candid About DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN Ending and His Failed Fight to Save WONDER MAN

Marvel Television is making some big changes to its Disney+ lineup, and two of its shows have reached an unexpected end. Daredevil: Born Again is officially wrapping up after three seasons, while Wonder Man has been canceled despite previously receiving a Season 2 renewal.

Now, Marvel Television boss Brad Winderbaum is opening up about both decisions, explaining why Matt Murdock's story is coming to a close and revealing just how hard he fought to keep Wonder Man alive.

The news that Daredevil: Born Again would end with Season 3 broke earlier this month, roughly two months after filming wrapped. Marvel also parted ways with showrunner Dario Scardapane, whose contract expired and wasn't renewed.

While the series has been well-received by fans and critics, it hasn't delivered the massive viewership numbers Marvel might have hoped for. With the studio scaling back its Disney+ projects, the decision isn't entirely surprising.

However, Winderbaum insists that ending the show after three seasons was always part of the plan. Speaking with Brandon Davis, Winderbaum explained:

"The plan was always to make a third season, to culminate it at three. The way we were looking at it, the original series is three seasons, Born Again three seasons. They're kind of like trade paperbacks, collections you can slot into your shelves."

It's an interesting way to look at the series, especially considering that the original Netflix Daredevil also ran for three seasons. Marvel apparently viewed Born Again as another three-season chapter in the character's larger story.

But Winderbaum's comments also suggest that stronger viewership could have made a difference in the show's future. When Davis asked whether fans might be able to bring the series back through another campaign, Winderbaum said:

"I felt like I was part of '#SaveDaredevil.' You know it's interesting the internet, it's not what it used to be even a few years ago when you could stage a campaign and get something made like that.

“'Save Daredevil' is great but we also need 'hashtag Watch Daredevil'. The biggest leverage I have, and I say this all the time, is the actual viewership numbers.

“That's what people are looking for, that's where I get my power to be able to make something or not. I just want people to watch the show."

Fan campaigns can certainly help, but actual viewership is what gives executives the ammunition to push for additional seasons. Winderbaum also made it clear that Season 3 doesn't necessarily mean the end of Daredevil in the MCU.

"The way we were looking at it: the original series is three seasons. Born Again, three seasons... and then we'll take a breath and figure out what's next for the character."

That should offer fans some reassurance. Even if Born Again is ending, it's hard to imagine Marvel retiring Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, or any of the other great characters in the show.

These characters have plenty of potential beyond their Disney+ series, and bringing them into future MCU movies seems like a natural next move.

While Daredevil's future remains open, the situation surrounding Wonder Man is a little more frustrating. The series had already been renewed for a second season before Marvel reversed course and canceled it. According to Winderbaum, he and the creative team did everything they could to keep it going.

"I fought for it, I don't know what to say. It's complicated. Sometimes you feel like you're invincible and can make whatever you want, sometimes, you don't have leverage, it's subject to market forces that I like barely understand."

Winderbaum clearly has a lot of affection for the show and the people responsible for bringing it to life, including Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest.

He continued: "But creatively it's one of the best teams I've ever worked with, I love that cast, I love Destin [Daniel Cretton], I love Andrew [Guest], I fought for the show, we all did. Everyone at Marvel wanted to see it happen. Maybe I'm an idiot, but I still have hope that by some miracle, there's a way to do something down the road."

It's a shame to see Wonder Man get cut short, especially after Marvel had already committed to another season. Obviusly the cancellation wasn't something the creative team wanted.

The good news is that he hasn't completely given up on the possibility of revisiting the characters. Of course, finding another place for Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Simon Williams within the larger MCU might be more challenging than bringing back Daredevil and Kingpin.

Marvel has spent years establishing Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk as major players in its street-level corner of the MCU, making their eventual jump to the big screen feel like a logical progression.

Simon Williams doesn't have that same established history in the franchise, but there's certainly room for Marvel to find a way to bring him back.

For now, it sounds like Marvel Television is becoming much more selective about which Disney+ shows get additional seasons, regardless of how much the creative teams want to continue them.

It's disappointing for fans who have invested in these characters, but at least Winderbaum is leaving the door open for their stories to continue in some form.