Watchmen showrunner Damon Lindelof "hopes" there will be a season 2 – he just won't be writing it

Watchmen
(Image credit: HBO)

Watchmen has picked up an astounding 26 Emmy nominations – which has left everyone with one question: when's season 2 coming? 

Showrunner Damon Lindelof has spoken about whether he would continue the series on multiple occasions, saying that he would not be continuing the show but would be happy for another writer to take the Watchmen mantle and run with it. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly following the Emmy announcement, Lindelof – who previously acted as co-showrunner on Lost and showrunner on The Leftovers – double down on that sentiment, saying he "hopes" to see where someone else could take Watchmen.

"I'm so proud of the work that we all did," he said, reflecting on season 1. "But this show only worked because other [writers] told the story and I got out of the way, and that was not easy for me. I'm not saying this because I'm being modest; I'm a narcissist, for sure, but in the case of Watchmen, the magic occurred and that could never be replicated. So many of those storytellers have now gone on to run their own shows and to other projects. Even Regina is directing and producing her own movie. So there's not going to be an Ocean's Twelve. 

"The big incentive for me would have been not to do more Watchmen but to work with that same group of artists, and they've all scattered to the wind. So I hope there's more Watchmen. It's one of those rare comic books that transcends what people think when you say 'comics.' The idea can hold real cultural conversations or deep dives into American history, or criticisms of, of law and order — those things are evergreen. I really feel like that space is now open for others to come and play in, and I really look forward to what they do with it."

Where exactly the story could go after that ending is unknown. Could a new series reveal whether Angela sank or stood on water? Or would it follow a whole new set of characters and further add to the complex history of the comic-book series? Hopefully, the right writer will come along and make another Emmy-nominated series. Read more about the Watchmen ending here.

Jack Shepherd
Freelance Journalist

Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.