Zach Braff Almost Joined the MCU Before Marvel Pulled the Plug on ‘Wonder Man’
Marvel’s Disney+ slate has delivered plenty of surprises over the past year, but few stung quite like the fate of ‘Wonder Man‘. Now, the ‘Scrubs’ star has revealed that the abrupt decision also cost Zach Braff a shot at directing in the MCU.
‘Wonder Man’ debuted in its entirety on Disney+ on January 27 with 8 episodes, created by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest. Starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams and Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, the series earned strong reviews and a 91% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The show seemed poised to buck Marvel’s usual single-season trend. Disney announced a Season 2 renewal back in March, roughly 2 months after its premiere, which was an anomaly for the studio’s live-action Disney+ series.
That changed this summer when Variety exclusively reported that the show had been canceled. According to sources, a Season 2 writers’ room was never opened, though the characters could still appear in other Marvel projects.
The timing made the decision even more surprising. Abdul-Mateen had just landed an Emmy nomination for his performance, a rare achievement for live-action Marvel adaptations, and he later confirmed on Instagram that the show wouldn’t return.
Now, Braff has shared how close he came to joining the series. While promoting Season 2 of ‘Scrubs’ alongside co-stars Donald Faison and Sarah Chalke, Braff explained that he and Faison both loved ‘Wonder Man’, and that Faison had long wanted him to work with Marvel.
“I had a meeting with them, and I was like, ‘I love your show. Please put me on the list for consideration to direct Season 2,'” Braff told Yahoo Canada. He added that roughly a week later, Marvel informed him that the popular, newly Emmy-nominated series had been canceled.
Braff recalled that he and Faison had been celebrating the opportunity before the news arrived. His lighthearted retelling has since spread across social media, with one fan responding in mock outrage that they had been robbed.
The new trailer for Marvel’s ‘WONDER MAN’ series has been released.
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) January 1, 2026
Releasing January 27 on Disney+ pic.twitter.com/1mfVXrw0zP
Marvel has not offered a public explanation for reversing course. Some reports have speculated about lower viewership despite the critical acclaim, while others pointed to co-creator Cretton possibly being tied up with other major projects.
Cretton was a key creative force on the show, directing its first 2 episodes. Without clear answers, the cancellation remains one of the more puzzling decisions in recent Marvel television history.
For Faison, the news was particularly disappointing, since he had been eager to make his own MCU debut in the series. For now, Braff remains focused on ‘Scrubs’, a show he describes as being in his blood.
Whether Marvel will call on Braff for a future project remains uncertain. Still, his story offers a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse at how quickly plans can change inside the studio’s TV division.
As for ‘Wonder Man’, fans are holding onto the promise that Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery could still pop up elsewhere in the MCU. Until that happens, the series stands as a well-loved one-season wonder that left plenty of unfinished stories behind.
Would you have wanted Zach Braff to direct an episode of Wonder Man Season 2?
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