A new report explains why Y: The Last Man has been cancelled.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, FX first ordered The Last Man to series in February 2019, after a pilot was almost a year earlier in April 2018. Barry Keoghan and Diane Lane were set to play the lead roles, but showrunners Michael Green and Aida Croal left the series, and Eliza Clark was brought onboard as showrunner in June 2019. In February 2020, Keoghan was recast, with Ben Schnetzer eventually taking the role of Yorick Brown. Shortly afterwards, the pandemic hit, and the plan for the series' rollout was switched from FX to FX on Hulu. Production finally kicked off in October 2020.
All of these delays meant that both original and new actors attached to the series had to have their options extended. This was costly, and, despite Clark pitching a second installment in September 2021, FX made the decision to cancel the show rather than pay $3 million to extend actors' options, which expired on October 15.
The report adds that viewer numbers weren't a factor in the decision, as Hulu doesn't reveal that data, meaning FX didn’t have much on which to judge the series' performance. According to THR's sources, there was a viewer drop-off, but, as the report explains, this is fairly common with viewers' habit of binge-watching an entire show at once.
THR also report that their sources indicate that The Last Man is likely to be aiming for HBO Max as a home for a second season, as DC Comics is owned by WarnerMedia, and DC imprint Vertigo published the original graphic novels.
"We have learned that we will not be moving forward with FX on Hulu for Season 2 of Y: THE LAST MAN," Clark wrote on Twitter as she announced the news of the cancellation. "I have never in my life been more committed to a story, and there is so much more left to tell."
Time will tell if Y: The Last Man can live again on HBO Max. For now, it continues on FX on Hulu in the US, and Disney Plus Star in the UK. If you're looking to fill out your watchlist, check out our guide to the best shows on Disney Plus.
