Jupiter’s Legacy Season 2: Netflix has cancelled the superhero drama ‘Jupiter’s Legacy’ after the first season.
Jupiter’s Legacy seemed like it was going to be the next big superhero franchise on Netflix. The series based on the Image comic book series Jupiter’s Legacy by Mark Millar received a good response from viewers. It was in Netflix’s top 10 list in the US and UK for more than a week. Jupiter’s Legacy was the most-watched show on any streaming service during the week of May 3–9, 2021, garnering 696 million minutes of viewing for the whole season.
While the fans are waiting for its renewal, Netflix gave a shock and cancelled the series. This decision came as a big surprise as the fans were assured that Netflix would renew the superhero drama. Well, the reasons behind the cancellation are out now. It seems that cancellation was inevitable.
Why did Netflix cancel Jupiter’s Legacy after the first season?
As per The Hollywood Reporter, the series was irked with issues from the beginning, with then-showrunner Steven DeKnight initially asking Netflix for a budget of at least $12 million per episode. However, Netflix settled it down to $9 million.
Showrunner Steven DeKnight has creative differences with Netflix which resulted in the show getting over budget and production getting delayed. The production was shut down about midway through its eight-episode shoot; DeKnight was replaced by Sang Kyu Kim, who then had to restructure the first four episodes.
After production for all eight episodes wrapped, the show spent an excessive amount in post-production. The filmmaker behind Netflix’s Dark Crystal and Lupin series, Louis Leterrier, was brought in during the post-production process as a consultant, but by that time it was too late. It all resulted in overbudgeting as the final budget for Jupiter’s Legacy landed at $130 million.
As if the budget problems were not enough to cope up, one Netflix executive, VP of original content Cindy Holland, who was helpful in driving Jupiter’s Legacy, and its two original executive supervisors exited Netflix. Holland was replaced by industry veteran Bela Bajaria, who took the mantle as head of global TV. Those taking over the new positions are often far more alert and picky about projects developed by outgoing creatives. Well, it also sealed Jupiter’s Legacy fate.
Millar and Netflix wheeled the cancellation by saying Jupiter is going to be a universe. Netflix announced a new live-action series based on an unrelated Millar comic titled Supercrooks. The previously paused project The Magic Order once again returned to development.
Jupiter’s Universe
Well, Jupiter’s Legacy won’t be coming back for a second season. It would be interesting to see how Netflix and Millar work on Jupiter’s Universe. Fans have to wait for Supercrooks to arrive before making any point.
