Was Wonder Man almost scrapped? Showrunner Andrew Guest reveals the critically acclaimed Disney Plus series almost ended up as a tax write-off.
Wonder Man turned out to be everything that Disney Plus should strive to be. It’s a series that people were rolling their eyes at and practically checking their watch waiting for it to become a tax write-off. However, it seems it was the fans who wrote off the show too soon, as early reviews suggest the project may be one of the best in the MCU.
Though it seems the worst impulses by fans may have very well been the reality at some point during production. Wonder Man showrunner Andrew Guest discussed the long road to bring the series to Disney Plus during a recent screening (via ComicBookMovie.com). During the conversation, he revealed that the show was nearly the first MCU project to become a tax write-off.
“We were halfway through ours. You know, it could have been a tax write-off for Disney, but I know for a fact that the people who were producing this show, like Brian and all of our amazing team there, were fighting their asses off to make sure that we came back and finished this weird, melancholy show. That, you know, was a big, big swing for them.”
Wonder Man Is On Strike
Given how much chatter there was during the strikes about Wonder Man potentially being canned, it’s insane to hear from the showrunner that it was so close to being a tax write-off. Luckily, the series was salvaged and is set to be one of the most successful on Disney Plus. And it seems as though the strikes may have actually provided the runway for that.
“[During the strikes we were] looking, thinking about it internally, and writing pages and pages of notes for when we came back. [They were] thick, but it was helpful in some ways.”
That’s ultimately the danger of a tax write-off. Studios are buying darts and choosing to scrap them for the metal instead of seeing if they can land a bullseye. While some darts may end up in a pile of discarded nachos, it’s inevitable some – like Wonder Man – will end up as a shining jewel on the crown that is Disney Plus.
Wonder Man will release January 27th on Disney Plus. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding Wonder Man and the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe!
