Netflix isn’t the only streaming company with an itchy trigger finger when it comes to cancelling shows that aren’t living up to expectations. Deadlinereports that Hulu has pulled the plug on Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. after just one season.
M.O.D.O.K. was a stop-motion animated series, and quite a high profile one at that, featuring Patton Oswalt as co-executive producer and protagonist. He played M.O.D.O.K. — a disillusioned supervillain suffering a mid-life crisis after various setbacks against Earth’s superheroes. The show achieved an impressive 88% fresh rating with critics on Rotten Tomatoes over its ten-episode run.
Oswalt himself reacted to the Deadline story with a sigh on Twitter.
*sigh* oh wellGot to work with the best writers, a dream voice cast, and @Marvel let us run amok in their toy box. Another great experience. Forward! https://t.co/TjOMuQ1KfrMay 13, 2022
“Got to work with the best writers, a dream voice cast, and @Marvel let us run amok in their toy box,” he tweeted. Said dream voice cast featured Melissa Fumero, Aimee Garcia, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ben Schwartz, Beck Bennett, Jon Daly and Sam Richardson.
The show was originally pitched as one of four Marvel themed animations on Hulu, with the plan being that the four would converge for an event series called “The Offenders.” But two of them — Howard The Duck and Tigra & Dazzler — weren’t ever taken forward, and the other — Hit-Monkey — is still awaiting its fate after the first series aired last November. The mood music doesn’t sound overly good for it, given Hulu cancelled another Marvel project — Helstrom — at the end of 2020.
Indeed, with Marvel owners Disney having a great deal of success pushing Marvel projects onto Disney Plus with the likes of Wandavision, Moon Knight and Hawkeye, it’s doubtful we’ll see any other platforms getting much of a look in from now on. Indeed, all five of the Hulu shows mentioned above were the product of Marvel Television — a TV division of Marvel that closed down in 2020, with oversight of TV projects reverting to Marvel Studio.
But, as Deadline points out, the end of M.O.D.O.K. shouldn’t be a warning sign that Hulu is going soft on animated adult comedy as a genre. It is, after all, still home to the likes of Futurama and Solar Opposites, so this doesn’t necessarily represent a Netflix-style bonfire of entertainment.
