Marvel reportedly "cancels" Disney Plus show; second season unlikely

The Marvel Cinematic Universe arrived on the small screen to kick off its fourth phase back in 2021. The franchise, renowned for dominating the box office for over a decade, tried its hand at television, as Marvel Studios began making shows and specials exclusive to the Disney Plus streaming service, all of which shared continuity with the films.

The first of those, WandaVision, proved to be extremely popular with fans and critics, earning the studio its first Emmy nominations (including a few wins). Loki brought the saga its biggest TV success, returning for a second season and setting records for Disney Plus. The vast majority of the others were successful too, even if Marvel have yet to confirm if any of the non-miniseries ones will be back for a second season (Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel etc.).

However, it seems like one of those shows definitely won't be returning. From a new report to a relatively recent comment from the star of it, fans probably shouldn't expect this show to be back for another outing.

She-Hulk season 2 not expected to happen

According to a recent report from Marvel scoopers HolyField News and Rejected Scooper, the K.E.V.I.N. artificial intelligence that appeared in the She-Hulk: Attorney At Law finale will return in the MCU's future, but the show itself likely won't. The latter claims that their source now believes a second season of the show really is unlikely at this point after Marvel and Disney's recent strategy shift to focus on quality over quantity.

While reports and rumors are to be taken with a grain of salt, this one backs up comments that were made by the star of the show herself earlier this year.

Actress Tatiana Maslany made a relatively recent appearance on a Twitch stream show titled Codenames Live and discussed her role as Jennifer Walters, a.k.a. She-Hulk, on the Marvel series. When asked if the fans should hope for a second season, she responded:

"I don’t think so... I think we blew our budget, and Disney was like, ‘no thanks!"

- Tatiana Maslany

Since the star made those comments, there haven't been any developments or even rumors regarding a second season of the show - a stark contrast to the multiple rumors surrounding other shows, with recent reports suggesting that Marvel Studios is interested in bringing back Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, and perhaps even Moon Knight (although his comeback could come in the rumored Midnight Suns project).

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law premiered on Disney Plus in September 2022. It was a legal dramedy that highlighted how Jennifer Walters had knack for breaking the fourth wall, showcasing her evolution into She-Hulk. It was received well by critics, and seemed like one of the most likely shows to get another season (particularly because comedies have the scope for multiple seasons). The fact that there wasn't any updates on another outing in the year after its premiere was a little eyebrow-raising.

Disney CEO Bob Iger has been vocal about how Marvel Studios will be releasing less titles in the upcoming years as it focuses on quality over quantity after a couple of unusual missteps in recent years. One does have to wonder if She-Hulk season 2 was one of the projects to get scrapped because of that.

Jennifer Walters will be back at some point even if her show isn't

While the idea of Marvel not going ahead with a second season of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law is incredibly disappointing for fans of the show, the character herself will likely be back. The whole point of those Phase Four titles was to place the spotlight on new heroes who could go on to become major aspects of the MCU going forward, and She-Hulk is certainly one of them.

This is something that Marvel scooper MyTimeToShineHello also reports, revealing that Jennifer Walters will join Spider-Man, Sam Wilson's Captain America, and Moon Knight in Avengers 5 (formerly titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty). And that really is the beauty of a franchise like the MCU, because even if a character's own story isn't continued in a linear fashion, they can still continue on as recurring presences throughout the franchise (just look at how many times Iron Man resurfaced long after his movie trilogy ended).

Taking all of that into account, a second season of She-Hulk does seem unlikely right now. Marvel Studios has yet to officially confirm this, but given how they haven't really confirmed it with any of its shows beyond Loki and What If...? (the only two renewed for second seasons), it's hard to know when - or if - the studio will provide any clarity about the show's future.

The good thing is that, even if the show doesn't return for another set of nine comedic episodes, we haven't seen the last of Jennifer Walters. Somewhere along the line she will return, and when the Jade Giantess makes her presence felt on-screen again, fans will undoubtedly be very happy to see her.