Starz has canceled American Gods after season 3. Adapted from Neil Gaiman’s award-winning 2001 novel, American Gods chronicles the story of Ricky Whittle’s Shadow Moon, an ex-convict who, after a chance encounter with Ian McShane’s Mr. Wednesday/ Odin, gets embroiled in an overarching conflict between the Old and New Gods. The show’s first season, created by Bryan Fuller and Michael Green, debuted to massive critical acclaim in 2017. Fuller and Green, however, left the show after a fallout with producer Fremantle, and Jesse Alexander became the showrunner for season 2. But Alexander was also removed in 2018, leaving season 3 to be developed by Charles Eglee, with oversight from Gaiman, who stepped up as a co-showrunner. Lately, there were rounds that Gaiman and Eglee were planning a fourth season, but a recent update has since quashed those rumors.
As reported by Variety, Starz has decided not to pick up American Gods for season 4. However, despite the cancellation, it’s possible that the show would return to tie up any loose ends, as active discussions are happening at Starz about wrapping up American Gods with an event series or TV movie. Variety also added that the series was likely axed due to low ratings, as its gross viewership had dropped by 65% between seasons 1 and 3. A spokesperson for Starz said of the cancellation:
“American Gods will not return for a fourth season. Everyone at Starz is grateful to the dedicated cast and crew, and our partners at Fremantle who brought author and executive producer Neil Gaiman’s ever-relevant story to life that speaks to the cultural climate of our country.”
Arguably, American Gods‘ cancellation isn’t altogether a surprise. The show was frequently plagued with creative and budgetary discords, and its popularity and quality had both declined in recent seasons. Additionally, the controversial exits of cast members Orlando Jones and Mousa Kraish had also affected the show adversely, as viewers became infuriated over the show constantly switching out characters. It, therefore, makes sense for Starz to end the show now, rather than letting it become a drag that dishonors its source material. That said, fans can still hold out hope for a solid finish as the show may return to conclude its story.
Source: Variety
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