Olan Rogers, Owner of Star Cadet and creator of the popular animated series Final Space, took to social media to confirm that the project had been canceled and would not be renewed for another season. The creator also explicitly stated that a tax write-off motivated Warner Bros. Discovery's decision to cancel the show.Final Space, which more or less fits into the space opera genre, tells the story of Gary Godspeed, a lovable yet dim-witted astronaut who is serving the last few days of a five-year disciplinary sentence when he comes into contact with a cute alien lifeform that he immediately bonds with and nicknames Mooncake. However, he discovers in short order that the creature is a weapon of mass destruction and the two begin a journey to discover the secrets surrounding Final Space, an alternate dimension seemingly key to the end of the universe. Over the course of their adventures, they assemble a crew of endearing characters with interesting backstories of their own and stave off attacks from the villainous Lord Commander and other adversaries.Final Space had previously been canceled in September 2021, just months after the release of the show’s third season, with the universally disruptive merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia being the reason given by Adult Swim. With speculation that the project could still be revived to give a satisfactory ending to the show, fans were distraught when Rogers posted the bad news to his Twitter page, uploading a screenshot with a typed-out message and images of merchandise to buttress the point. “It's a banner that you all have been waving, and it's a rallying cry I can stand behind while I continue into this long dark night chasing an ending for this story,” Rogers wrote.
The screenshot itself detailed Rogers' dissatisfaction with his 5 years of work on the project, further incised by the reasoning behind the cancelation. Rogers says Final Space was axed by Warner Bros. Discovery to qualify for tax incentives, similar to its shutting down of the nearly-complete Batgirl film and other projects. Detailing how the news had made him feel and how it had interacted with other facets of his life, Rogers ended on a rebellious note, insisting that he wouldn’t give up on the characters and telling the story.
Final Space is yet another loss that fans have borne in the wake of the Warner Bro.s Discovery merger, with the new higher-ups implementing a swath of unpopular changes ranging from getting rid of highly anticipated projects to cancelling the DC FanDome event for the year. While the general consensus from those affected, including Rogers himself, is that these are simply business moves, the PR effect of these decisions should not be taken lightly, with the DCEU and other WarnerMedia projects losing fan engagement due to the uncertainty surrounding the product.
Some people are optimistic, however, pointing out the CEO's grand plans for the DCEU, believing that his vision for a future filled with spectacular cinematic events will give the IPs involved the boost needed to compete with the MCU and deliver stories that fans will enjoy. Whether this outlook is justified remains to be seen, with no concrete plans to offset these cuts materialized as of yet.
Final Space can still be viewed on Netflix until the international streaming rights come up for renewal.
Source: Olan Rogers/Twitter