The axe has fallen on yet another TV show, despite it being nominated at the 2026 Emmys.
Disney+‘s Wonder Man may be up for Best Comedy Actor this year for Yahya Abdul-Mateen II‘s performance as Simon Williams, but that didn’t stop the streamer from permanently ending production on Thursday — despite giving it a Season 2 pickup in March. Variety was first to report the news.
Wonder Man now joins a host of other shows that nabbed Emmy bids this year despite all having been 86’d, including The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Palm Royale, Gen V, Poker Face, and Ponies. Those nominations show that industry buzz and strong below-the-line work can outlive a network’s decision.
Post-cancellation Emmy victories are rare, but they do happen, so Abdul-Mateen isn’t out of the race just yet. In recent years, shows like Étoile, The Idol, Lovecraft Country, and Pushing Daisies all won Emmys, with Courtney B. Vance and Kristin Chenoweth taking home acting prizes for their respective performances in Lovecraft and Daisies.
Wonder Man marks Abdul-Mateen’s second career Emmy nomination after winning Best Limited/Movie Supporting Actor in 2020 for playing another comic-book character, Dr. Manhattan, in Watchmen. Per the Gold Derby odds, his chances of winning a bookend trophy this year are slim.
Comedy Actor
1.
2.
Martin Short
Only Murders in the Building
3.
4.
5.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Wonder Man
Matthew Rhys (Widow’s Bay) currently leads the Best Comedy Actor contest at 87%, followed by Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building) at 8%. The other three nominees — Jason Segel (Shrinking), Steve Carell (Rooster), and Abdul-Mateen — share the remaining 5%.
Abdul-Mateen submitted the pilot episode “Matinee” for Emmy consideration, in which his actor character struggles for relevance after being fired from a TV gig. Simon eventually auditions for the role of his favorite superhero, Wonder Man, and the rest is history.
“I said, ‘I’m gonna do it like Sir Ben [Kingsley] this time,'” Abdul-Mateen told Gold Derby about his acting process on Wonder Man. “I worked out my beats, and I made my choices … and then I look up because I don’t know what to say. In between takes, after we had accomplished the scene, Sir Ben comes up and says, ‘Excellent choices.’ He reminded me that’s also a way to work: go in there and be deliberate and paint.”
